234 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



well. Like the Ben Davis, it will do to sell to those who do not know what a good 

 apple is . 



*'My maimer of protecting young apple trees from rabbits is the oiling process with 

 crude oil. It is no protection against field mice. Cleaning the weeds, grass and other 

 rubbish from about the trees will protect them from the ravages of mice. I protect 

 from depredations of the borer by rubbing the trees in May with common bar soap. 

 It is effectual. 



" My peach orchard consisted originally of three thousand trees. Some died in con- 

 sequence of the wet winter of 1866 and 1867. My cultivation had been too level for 

 that unusually wet winter. Three-fourths of my peach trees are still living, and are 

 rallying from the shock. 



* ' I have some six hundred Early Richmond and some sweet cherries ; all of which 

 seem to do well so far. My pears blight, I think, for want of care. 



"N. W. ABBOTT." 



The fourth annual meeting of the Centralia Fruit-Growers' Association was held 

 January 1st, 1870, at which time the following persons were elected as officers for the 

 year 1870 : 



Fo?' President — G. L. Brunton. 



Vice- President— A. Mitchell. 



Secreta7'y—3 . W. Fletcher. 



Treasurer — T. R. May. 



With the exceptions of a few nights in June and July, when the weather was hot, 

 the nights short, and the members busy, our meetings have been fairly attended, the 

 discussions spirited, and the interest well sustained. That they have been of advant- 

 age to the members and useful to the public is the opinion of 



Yours, respecfuUy , 



J. WARREN FLETCHER. 



REPORT OF VICE PRESIDENT 12tH DISTRICT. 



Mr. President: In making a report for the 12th district, I would first remark 

 that the district is a very large one, having the whole length — north and south — of the 

 counties of Madison, St. Clair, Randolph and Monroe, lying on the Mississippi river 

 and extending eastward to, and a little beyond the Illinois Central railroad, aflording 

 a great variety of soils, locations and exposures for horticultural purposes. In some 

 portions of the district, as in Madison, St. Clair and parts of Clinton counties, the 

 severe weather of December last, at the time of our annual meeting at Bunker HiU, 

 proved nearly fatal to the Peacli crop; while in Washington county, and especially the 

 eastern part of it, this desirable fruit almost wholly escaped, the yield being large for 

 the number of trees in bearing, and the quality superior, the curculio even not appear- 

 ing in numbers sufficiently large to cause serious damage. As to horticultural matters 

 in the county of Madison, you are respectfully referred to the proceedings of the Alton 

 Horticultural Society, which will doubtless be incorporated with the doings of this 

 body, and to which I shall not presume to add anything of value or interest. Some 

 portions of the district are so remote from railroad travel — as the counties of Randolph 

 and Monroe, that I have not been able to gather much information horticulturally from 



