172 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



REPOllT ON PEARS. 



BY L. C. FRANCIS. 



My experience with pears is confined to growino^ for family use. 

 I commenced Avith raising my own trees, using tlie White Thorn for 

 a stock. The trees grew thrifty and bore well, making good-sized 

 trees, but eventually died of blight. I afterwards planted Dwarfs, 

 these also had their day and died of the blight. Some twelve years 

 ago I planted some dozen or two of Standard trees and a few 

 Dwarfs, comprising the Virgaleau, Bartlett, Tyson and Louise Bonne. 

 Wishing to test the iron theory as a preventive of blight, I 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil, for some five feet in diameter and 

 eighteen inches deep in each hole, something over half a bushel of 

 scales and fine slag from the iron works, the trees were carefully 

 planted in this prepared soil, and made a fine healthy growth, per- 

 fectly free from blight, Some five years having passed and but 

 little indication of f ruitf ulness, in an evil hour I tried the disbarking, 

 or ringing, so successfully practiced by Mr. Spaulding, to increase 

 their fruitf ulness. I did it cautiously and at the time of year recom- 

 mended. Some of the trees came into bearing immediately, in 

 others it was necessary to repeat it the next year; the ringing having 

 been done so cautiously (not more than one-sixteenth of an inch 

 having been taken out) that the bark grew over immediately. One- 

 eighth of an inch in width was then taken, which had the desired 

 effect, and more too. Within a couple of years the first bearing trees 

 began to color their leaves prematurely and failed to start in the 

 spring, others followed, until more than three-quarters of the trees 

 were dead. There was a swollen place where the ringing was done, 

 bridged over by warty granulations, showing an unhealthy condition 

 of things. My soil is rich prairie, Mr. Spaulding's, oak barrens or a 

 timber soil. Whether this made the difference in the effects of 

 the ringing process upon the trees I will leave others to decide. 



AD-INTERIM REPORT FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 



BY J. G. THOMPSON^. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen: 



The closing month of the year is again upon us, giving us a 

 short respite from the arduous toils, that are ever the lot of the hor- 

 ticulturist, in which we can balance up the result of the season and 

 see what the bottom figures indicate. 



There are, however, other things than figures representing dol- 

 lars and cents that should be taken into account in this connection, 

 viz., the experience which every one gets in the course of the season 

 who works with his eyes open. 



