STATE . HORTICULTURAL .SOCIETY. 195 



vineyard and nursery of .hieob Zins, some three miles northeast of the city, was Jirst 

 visited. Two and a quarter acres in grapes, mostly four years planted, one-half Con- 

 cord, whieh is a favorite with Mr. Zins. Delaware is growing in favor, and the \ ines 

 appeared in best condition of any Delaware seen on our tour of oliservation. Hart- 

 ford Prolific is first in ripening; Concord and Delaware, second; Blood's Black, 

 third; Rogers' 2, lo and 19, fourth; Diana and Perkins', fifth. He rejects Taylor's 

 Bullitt. Vineyard is on the hillside, S.S.E. slope; frial>le loam, clay subsoil; was 

 plowed eighteen inches deep; rows eight feet each way, trained on trellis; clean 

 culture, and vines are vigorous and healthy. Wine of '68, from mixture of Concord,. 

 Delaware, and Rogers' No. 10, is very popular with the German population. Twenty 

 acres of apple orchard in bearing is well cared for; but little fruit this year. Rawle's 

 Janet, Northern Spy, Perry Russett, and Hoss Apple are leading varieties— the two 

 latter remarkably productive. 



We next visited the vineyard of Hon. James G. Soulard, who, in vigorous health 

 at seventy-two years of age. is zealously putting forth his energies in horticultural 

 pursuits, which for most of his active HtV ha\ e engaged a large amount of attention. 

 The soil is mostly clay, prepared by plowing and subsoiling eighteen to twenty inches- 

 deep. Six acres are one year planted, two more in preparation for scttiug next 

 spring. One-half are Concord, balance Ives' Clinton, Delaware, and all tried sorts. 

 Culture is thorough, and his example is worthy the emulation of our young men. His 

 first planting of grapes here was tliirty-fivc years since. Catawba and Isabella suc- 

 ceeded finely some twelve years, when he sold the property, and from neglect they 

 failed In deep, porous soil near St. Louis, forty years since, he planted fruit trees 

 one foot or more deeper than they had stood in nurseries. Trees luue succeeded 

 well; believes it ad\isable for such soils. 



The lovely home of Mr. J. M. Ryan was next visited. The well-ke])t lawn, bor- 

 dered and interspersed with flowers and statuary, is entered by a drive through an 

 avenue of fine evergreens. The apple, pear, and cherry orchards are in admirable 

 condition, bearing full crops this year. Mrs. Ryan takes an active part not only in 

 management, but in the actual handiwork of making and keeping these lovely groiuids 

 in order. Underdraiued thoroughly. 



F. Chctlain has forty dwarf pear trees, planted six years, in very fine condition, 

 probably have rooted from the pear; are mulched eighteen inches deep exevy autumn. 

 Full crops ot Louise Bonne de Jersey, Seckel, Vicar of VVinkfield. He has one 

 standard pear tree of an unknown variety; fruit small size, ripe in August ; brought 

 by J. G. Soulard twenty-five years since; has never known any symptoms of blight. 

 Apple trees are vigorous, but few are bearing crops ; one, of a variety not recognized, 

 a mediinn sized, red, acid, winter fruit, is loaded with none of the scab or blight so 

 generally prevalent this season. 



The Galena Horticultural Society made a fine display of fruits and flowers at their 

 rooms. The Soulard Crab was on exhibition, as large as a fair sized Red Romanite, 

 though quite similar in flavor to the wild crab of this section ; yet their large size, 

 keeping (jualities (having been kept until the second year), extreme hardiness of the 

 tree, cause those familiar with it here to recommendjit highly for sauce at the North. 

 From the extreme liardiness of tree, it has been formerly recommended as a stock on 

 which to propagate more tender varieties for the North. For a few years they thrive, 

 l)Ut soon after coining into bearing, trees on this stock fail. It will be used no more 



