130 TKANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The large and profitable peach crop of the past season, from 

 Makanda south, will make the planting of new orchards very large 

 throughout the whole of Southern Illinois; hundreds of thousands 

 of trees will be planted the coming spring — probably no other sin- 

 gle variety will be as largely used as the Ede; it has proved highly 

 satisfactory in every respect; comes just after E. Crawford; yellow 

 fleshed; large size, and has a handsome red cheek. 



The tomato is evidently pushing the strawberry into the back- 

 ground as a main crop in this locality, the out-put is increas- 

 ing yearly; it is grown tied up to stakes almost exclusively; A.cme 

 is the favorite variety, though some have tried the Mikado, and are 

 pleased with it. 



The method usually followed here of propping peach trees, is 

 to plant a substantial pole, somewhat longer than the tree is high, close 

 to the body, and then, by means of tarred strings tied from the top 

 of the pole to limbs that are opposite to each other, make one limb 

 support the other. 



The great drawback to this locality for vegetable growing is 

 the cost of manure. Ninety-five car-loads have been received here 

 from the Chicago stock yards in the last two weeks; it costs about 

 twenty dollars per car, or about one dollar and twenty-five cents per 

 two-horse wagon loads, if the car is well filled, and many of them 

 are not. When to this is added the cost of hauling over rough 

 roads, from the cars to the farm, it becomes very expensive. 



Pear blight seems to have been very destructive here in the last 

 few years, whole orchards having been destroyed, but growers still 

 continue planting, though in a small way — no more eighty acre 

 orchards. 



My next stop was at Anna. The apple and pear crop has been 

 good; peaches very good. Mr. Jacob Miller is one of the few who 

 had faith enough in peaches to continue planting; now he has large 

 orchards of young trees in fine condition, and this year commenced 

 to reap the reward of his persistence. He thinks so well of the Ede 

 that he will plant one thousand trees next spring — he speaks well 

 of the Marlborough raspberry. Mr. J. B. Miller has interested him- 

 self for several years in growing seedling varieties of fruit. From 

 the large number he has I will notice a few: A grape, bunch and 

 berry similar to Perkins; amber in color and sweet as honey; it 

 makes a fairly good raisin, as I can testify. A strawberry that is 

 from seed of the Green Prolific; has a fine leaf, strong grower, large 

 size, bright scarlet in color, perfect blossom, firm, and promises to be 

 a good shipper. A peach from Troths,' large size; high color and 

 very hardy; bears when anv of the seedlings bear. An apple, seed- 

 ling from the Winesap; similar to it in shape; of a brighter color; 

 it bore for the first time this year; he thinks it will be a better 

 keeper and an improvement on its parent. 



