STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 129 



be the scarcity of plants. Growers generally are not discouraged by 

 failure and low prices, for where there is one who has had enough 

 and is going to quit, two will be found willing to venture. 



The cost of laying down a twenty-four-quart crate of berries in 

 Chicago, from here is : Picking, 48 cents ; crate, 16 cents ; freight, 

 18 cents. Total, 82 cents. 



Young Ben Davis apple trees have borne a good crop and sold 

 well; Jonathan lightly; Minkler has proved to be as good a bearer 

 as Ben Davis, and of much better Cj[uality; other varieties have gen- 

 erally failed. Spraying with London Purple has been tried on apples 

 by Mr. PuUen, with highly satisfactory results, though applied two 

 weeks too late. He used one pound to eighty gallon? of water, with 

 about a tablespoonful of Paris Green added. This mixture proved 

 altogether too strong, as it burnt the foliage; will use it much 

 w^eaker next year. The sprayed trees were near the house, where the 

 codling moth held full possession; no perfect fruit had been gath- 

 ered for several years; this year the crop of perfect fruit was fair, in 

 fact, the only good apples gathered were here; all the balance of the 

 crop from his large orchard went for cider apples. 



Dr. Biddel, of this place, has two seedling grapes, described 



by those who have seen and tasted the fruit, to be very fine; they 

 have shown no tendency to disease. The first is a white grape; 

 bunch large and very compact, berry very large and sweet and of 

 best quality; ripens about two weeks after Concv^rd ; the second has 

 a medium-sized bunch, color black, skin thin, but does not crack ; is 

 an extra good keeper, a strong grower, inclined to overbear, ripens 

 with Concord. 



Leaving Centralia the evening of the 21st, my next stop was at 

 Cobden. This point is one of the most important fruit-growing 

 districts in the State. The growers here do not confine themselves 

 to one branch of the business, as the following statistics, compiled 

 by Mr. T. E. Goodrich, will show, though tomatoes seem to be their 

 specialty : 10,000 cases spinach; 200 cases persimmons; 29,000 cases 

 strawberries; 9,000 bbls. sweet potatoes; 6,500 bbls. apples; 16.000 

 boxes pie plant ; 17,000 bu. boxes melons; 276,000 ^bu. boxes 

 tomatoes; 31,000 ^-bu. boxes peaches; 10,000 y-bu. boxes apples and 

 pears ; a total of 510 cars. This is for the year ending October 

 22nd, 1887. 



The past season has been very encouraging to growers here. 

 The apple crop was fairly good — about two-thirds of an average — 

 and sold at good prices. Pears yielded well. Tomatoes fine, with prices 

 above the average. Peaches have borne for the first time in several 

 years, and prices have been very satisfactory. Sweet potatoes about 

 one-half, but the increased acreage will bring the out-puc up to 

 about two-thirds of an average. Strawberries very poor. Melons, 

 good; demand was brisk with prices according. Cherries heavy; 

 quality superior; no worms. 

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