78 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Hotel, where we found fifty or more horticulturists assembled, liav- 

 ing only a short time returned from the afternoon session. Shortly 

 after 6 o'clock we repaired to the Court House. The evening session 

 was promptly called to order by that sterling friend of horticultur- 

 ists. President Sylvester Johnson, who introduced to the audience a 

 gentleman from the "Wooden Nutmeg" State, Hon. B. G. North- 

 rup, of Clinton, Conn. This gentleman delivered a lengthy yet very 

 interesting address to a large and appreciative audience. The sub- 

 ject of ■' Village and Town Improvement '' is one of which he is very 

 familiar and well qualified to speak on. The speaker, in a very 

 pleasing manner, showed how the acquired love of home adornment, 

 and love for the beautiful in nature, had beautified mankind in a 

 sanitary point of view, besides increasing the permanent value of 

 real estate more than double. He also stated that very many in- 

 stances had come under his observation, where, through the persist- 

 ent efforts of a few ladies and gentlemen of taste and refinement, 

 many very undesirable towns and villages, with very discouraging 

 small beginnings, had been made attractive and desirable places for 

 persons of wealth, refinement and taste, and at the same time made 

 all rich and poor more happy, contented and prosperous, increasing 

 the value of property ten-fold over the cost of improvement. 



MORNING SESSION, I)E<\ 8. 



A bill was presented for the ajiproval of the Society, asking ap- 

 propriation from the State for establishing experimental stations 

 of horticulture. President Johnson recommended horticulturists 

 throughout the country personally writing to our members of Con- 

 gress, and he firmly believed" this method was calculated to do the 

 most good. 



A. G. Chandler, of Indianapolis, read a paper, '" The Old Grape- 

 vine on the Wall," which was very interesting and instructive, and 

 caused a lengthy and spirited discussion on grape growing in Indi- 

 ana, grape rot remedies, etc. The reader, apparently one of the 

 successful growers, gave in detail his methods. He claims he has no 

 rot, while his neighbors all around him have rot. He does not cul- 

 tivate only the first and second year of planting; sows the ground to 

 red clover between rows, which he claims should not be nearer than 

 ten by twelve feet, and prefers more room as vines get older. He 

 trims very little in early winter, trains high up, does no summer 

 pruning except to thin out overloaded canes at the time of early de- 

 velopment of bloom, mulches heavily with bagassa from sorghum 

 cane mills. He claims it is the cultivation and constant disturbing 

 of the roots, and heavy pruning that develops the conditions that 

 cause rot, and says he has no rot. His neighbors, who cultivate and 

 prune heavily, all have rot. 



