ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 261 



2il. In vii'W of till' npiirojR-liin^' cml ol the prcsiiit i)liic' IVnTsts of our coiiulrj', aiul tlu' imreasiii^ 

 (Idiiaiiil anil consi'niuiit iinroaf^ing inicc of Inniln'r; the wiilc-si)roail liiulii'ilcss prairifs ami i)lains, 

 as well as the alreaily Avull iiijrli total destitution of the oldei- eastern distriets of the I'niteil [States, 

 wliere once tindier abounded, we most earnestly reeomniend the adoption of a system of tree plant- 

 inj; hy every ftirni holder in the country, both in the form of protective belts of timber alonn the 

 bonndries of farms and hij.'lnvays. as well as around orchards and farm buildinjts. Also in larjier 

 bodies. t'Udiracin;; at least oiie-sixteenlh part of each farm. 



3d. To eneourajre and facilitate this movement, we further recommend that the intlnence of this 

 Society be extended to obtain such state anil national patronaf;e as shall encourajre and securt an im- 

 mediate prosecution of a work so essential to national jirosperity. 



1th. To secure this enil we recommend that this <'on\ entioii adopt measures to secure the iiassagte 

 of a bill in this session of (onjjress, extendinsr such K<ivcrnmental patronajrc as will injure the plant- 

 injr of extensive jiine ami larch forests, as well as other valuable varieties of timber in every portion 

 of the nntlmbered ])Ubllc domain east of the Hocky Mountains, wherever it can be made to jrrow. 



r>tli. Tliat we ur>fe upon our reiueseiitatives in both houses of Con^'ress tlieir support of any meas- 

 ure that maybe iiitroduceil for the encourajremcut of a system of forest |)lanlin^' in an\ and ever>' 

 portion of the United Slates wherever scarcity of tiinl)er exists. 



titli. AVe recommend that every State };o^t'i'""ii'"t (that has not already done so.) extend patron- 

 age by premiums or otherwise, to all who will i)lant torests witliin their borders. 



It niay not be out of place for this connnittee to state here, that an honorable Senator now in Wa.sli- 

 ingtoi\ is en^ra^fcd in collecliui; statistics from the princii)al lundier manufacturers and dealers in the 

 country, relative to the amount of ])iue timber land in the United States and their probable duration, 

 thereby to enforce tlie claims of a bill to secure liov ernment patrona^'C in planting forests on western 

 plains and prairies. 



Finally, your comndttceare happy to Join in con^'ratidatiii^: this Society and all who feel an iiderest 

 in, and have lon^ advocated the principle and necessity of ^'eneral forest culture, and the country at 

 lar};e, that so deep and widespread interest prevails on this sidtjicl. 



D. C. SCUFIELD. 



Mr. Edwards stated that in the Convention there were some sixty lawyers, some 

 half a dozen farmers, but not one horticulturist. He therefore moved that copies of 

 the report just read be forwarded to the Cliairman of the Committee on Agriculture. 



Mr. IJryant, Sr., thought that the plan of planting trees alongside the roads, as 

 proposed, could not be carried out, and that part of the report relating to Mr. Medill's 

 amendment was stricken out. 



Messrs. Bryant, Edwards, McWhorter, Ellsworth, and Scofield were appointed a 

 committee to memorialize the Constitutional Convention in regard to tree planting. 



Mr. S. G. Minkler, of Oswego, i)resented a report on orchards and \ineyards. He 

 reported that the Early Richmond cherry had lieen a failure the past season in North- 

 ern Illinois. Currants and gooseberries were abundant. Grapes poor, with an 

 excessively abundant bloom. We have had a small crop, and he suggested that this 

 matter of blooming might have something to do in indicating the coming crop. He 

 also called attention to the value of thick leaves with a downy or pidjescent growth on 

 the under side of the leaf as proof against the thrip and leaf hopper. Those varieties 

 with downy leaves had the finest fruit the past season. 



Dr. Hull stated that dry lime sifted over a tree, or lime water thrown over it with a 

 garden engine, would destroy the lice that cause the apple to scab. The lady bird 

 feasts on the eggs of these lice, and when the lady bird is abundant the lice do little 

 damage. The application should lie made just before or after blooming. 



(^uite an interesting discussion took place on this aphis <iuestion. 3Iany persons 

 seem to be skeptical as to its being the cause of the scab, but Dr. Hull is confident 

 that his theory is correct. 



A discussion arose as to the hardiness of the Rhode Island Greening top-gratted. 

 The general impression was that it is worthless. 



