STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 15 



ORCHARDS. 

 BY JACOB AUER, DEER PLAINS. 



Mr. President and Members of the 



Illinois Horticidtural Society: 



The following remarks on orchards have reference only to my 

 locality and to apple orchards, as I have not had much experience 

 with other kinds of fruit: 



The season of 1887 has been one of great disappointment to the 

 fruit grower, especially has this been the case in the commercial 

 apple orchards of this and adjoining counties. Although we had a 

 large apple crop last season, most of the annual bearers, and such 

 trees that did not bear a crop last year, and were in thrifty condition, 

 had blossoms enough to promise an average crop, but cold, windy 

 and rainy weather set in during blooming season and only a small 

 proportion of fruit set, confined to only a few varieties. Smith's 

 Cider, young trees, though considered a tender variety, matured a full 

 crop in my orchard, Maiden Blush, Rambo and Bellflower matured 

 a few, Jonathan, Willow Twig, and the young Ben Davis promised 

 almost a full crop until June, when the work of the codling moth and 

 curculio became plainly visible; then came the severe drouth, so that 

 from all causes combined, most of the fruit dropped off, and one-half 

 of what remained on the trees until picked were knotty or otherwise 

 damaged. My crop amounted to one hundred barrels, about ten per 

 cent, of an average crop, but very few were so lucky, as the average 

 crop of the county is perhaps less than five per cent, of a crop; the 

 worst failure for many years, so that good apples sold at home for 

 $2.50 per barrel. 



Some orchards were also troubled with an insect which perfor- 

 ated the leaves of trees, in some instances almost stripped them 

 which gave them a scorched and sickly appearance. 



The fast increase of insects for the last few years, and especially 

 this past season, has convinced orchardists that something must be 

 done to check their ravages. The pasturing of hogs and sheep in an 

 orchard does not seem to be sufficient, even where it is practiced, and 

 some will try spraying, if members of this society who have tried it 

 will give their experience, and can recommend a force-pump adapted 

 for use in large orchards, so that the work can be done quick and 

 effectual. The drouth was especially severe on new plantations, and 

 again demonstrated the necessity of mulching; a large percentage 

 not mulched died, unless watered. I found it necessary to water 

 some of mine in order to save them, but lost some from another 

 cause, the borer. Formerly I used to wash the young trees with 

 diluted soft-soap and crude carbolic acid — about two tablespoons of 

 of the latter to one gallon of wash — but as I did not see much sign of 

 the borer for the last two years, neglected to wash the trees this 

 year, with the above result; shall wash the young trees after this 

 every year to save them from the borer. 



