18 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



less then one-fourth of the owners of farms grow an adequate 

 supply of apples or garden vegetables for the use of their 

 families, and less than five per cent, grow the different varieties of 

 small fruit, and perhaps even a smaller number do anything in the 

 line of ornamental horticulture. I know that this branch of our 

 work is by some thought to be of minor importance, but when we 

 remember how barren and cheerless so many of our rural homes are, 

 with no healthful fruit or grateful shade or fragrant flowers to min- 

 ister to the wants of the dissatisfied dwellers therein, we understand 

 the necessity for this work, as well as that of economic horticulture. 



The necessity for missionary work in these unexplored portions 

 of our State is therefore apparent, and the question, how can it best 

 be done, is now before us. If we have the means at hand to print 

 and distribute five or six thousand copies of our report and put them 

 in the hands of the right men, it would at once arouse an interest 

 in our work. Local societies, either horticultural or agricultural, or 

 agricultural and horticultural combined, should be multiplied a hun- 

 dred fold, and it is the province of the State Society to lend a help- 

 ing hand in this work. It has occurred to me that if the members 

 of the Executive Board were authorized to respond to calls for as- 

 sistance informing such organizations, as well as to visit and encour- 

 age existing societies, it would result in good to the locality visited, 

 as well as the cause in general. Here, too, our ad intermi committee 

 might do good work, and if they could be induced to spend a month 

 each year in visiting these — horticultural — dark corners, instead of 

 the fruit-growing centres, and assist in organizing local societies, and 

 urge fruit-growers and farmers to attend our annual meetings, and 

 bring specimens of fruit and vegetables to our exhibitions, we should 

 soon find the former increasing in number and interest, and the lat- 

 ter something to be proud of. 



The question of testing the seedling fruits that are springing 

 up all over the state, is one worthy of our consideration. My atten- 

 tion has been called to this subject by the numerous samples of 

 seedlings aud unknown fruits that have, during the season, been sent 

 me with the request to examine and give an opinion of their value. 

 There is probably not a county in the State in which a number of 

 seedling apple trees cannot be found that have stood the test of the 

 late crucial winters and annually bear good crops of fruit, and in 

 some instances very fine fruit. Quite a number of these valuable 

 seedlings were exhibited at our last meeting of the fruit-growers of 

 Southern Illinois, and we hope and expect to again see them on our 

 tables here. In the month of September I received an interesting 

 collection of seedlings from Dr. Hall, of Savoy, which were placed 

 in the hands of one of the members of the Committee on New 

 Fruits, who will doubtless refer to them in his report. Hancock 

 County has given to the world two valuable new apples, the Wythe 

 and Monte Bell'o, specimens of which may be found on our exhib- 



