164 TRANSACTIONS OF . THE ILLINOIS 



REMEDIES. 



The main question, after all, is, can these climatic influences be 

 counteracted so that the farmer may, as of yore, plant his trees with 

 a reasonable prospect of enjoying the fruit from them? I believe 

 they can. From what has been said as to causes of this destruction 

 of trees, in the north and central parts of the State, it would seem 

 that if a nearly uniform moisture can be maintained through the 

 growing season, this will, in a great measure, secure the trees from 

 future danger. As evidence of this, I may say, that, while in the 

 West, I saw apple trees on those treeless plains, before spoken of, in 

 such a state of health and vigor as would gladden the heart of any 

 fruit grower, kept in this state by irrigation. Outside the enclosure 

 of trees it would be as dry and arid as a desert, which it verily was, 

 but the little stream of water, percolating around the roots of each 

 tree, served to transform this desert into blooming fertility. You 

 may say that conditions there are different from here; in a measure 

 they are, but they have several points of resemblance. The soil is 

 a sandy or gravelly loam instead of largely clayey loam, as is much 

 of Illinois, and any surplus water from the irrigation readily runs 

 off; it differs again in having a less annual rain fall. Trees do not 

 grow there without irrigation, because of lack of sufficient moisture, 

 while here they do not thrive from lack of proper distribution of 

 what moisture we have. The lack is made good there by making up 

 the deficiency, and, at the same time, the supply is made regular, as 

 it can be done by irrigation. But, we cannot irrigate here, and if 

 we could, I doubt the wisdom of attempting it because of the differ- 

 ence of our soil from their's. But, I think, we can do much towards 

 attaining this uniformity of moisture by mulching. I say do much, 

 for while I am satisfied that mulching will do in many localities, it 

 has not been tried under all circumstances, and there may be com- 

 plications of conditions that cannot be foreseen. 



In the quotation from Mr. Hammond's article the statement is 

 made that the supply of moisture should be more abundant and reg- 

 ular, recommending the raising of clover in the orchard, and letting 

 it remain on the ground as a means of attaining that. I have al- 

 ready referred to the fine, regular growth that is attained in Colorado 

 by irrigation. I would here state a few cases that have come under 

 my observation, as further illustration. When in Centralia at the 

 time before referred to, October 2d, I saAv a tree in an orchard be- 

 longing to Mr. G. W. St. John, that was standing near a shallow 

 cistern that was part well and part cistern. It was on an elevation, 

 so that there was no chance for standing water at any season of the 

 year except in the cistern. It was by far the most healthy and vig- 

 orous-looking tree in the orchard. While other trees had suffered 

 some from the extreme drouth, one Ben Davis to such an extent that 

 it had shed part of its leaves, and after the rains had put forth new 



