SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 261 



sour cherries, Ijut the killing of the song^sters has destroyed the 

 tender melody of his soul, and he is soured through —soul and body. 

 So that one little thrush can do more to elevate and purify thought 

 than a full regiment of such men. 



The horticulturist sees and enjoys the rare blessings of his call- 

 ing. He thinks, correctly, that there is no calling under the sun 

 more calculated to open one's eyes and ears and heart to the beauty, 

 the harmony and the love of God. Over all his inheritance he sees 

 blessings hovering, both white-winged and dark-winged messengers, 

 on the same errand from the Father of all Good. 



Dr. Humphrey — I protest against the idea advanced by the 

 essayist, that we cannot grow apples in Central Illinois. We have 

 had a valuable, but costly, ex))erieuce, and it will yet be demon- 

 strated that we can grow them profitably. Apples we must have, as 

 well as small fruit, even if we ship them from more favored points. 



Mr. Dennis — Every little while we hear of a wonderful new 

 strawberry, a few days earlier and a little larger than any thing be- 

 fore known. It therefore seems to me that we should soon have 

 strawberries six months in the year and as large as apples. I, there- 

 fore, think we shall soon be able to get along very comfortably with- 

 out apples. 



Mr. Dunlap — I do not accept the theory that we can not profit- 

 ably grow apples in Central Illinois. It has been done, and I firmly 

 believe that it can and will be done again. 



Dr. Hall — As long as there is a man in Illinois he will try 

 to grow apples. If every tree in the state was destroyed we should 

 soon have apples again. I have three hundred seedling trees, and 

 hope to get something valuable from them. Among them are some 

 fine varieties of fall apples, but the trouble has been, thus far, to get 

 a good winter ap])le. but I hope to finally succeed. 



President BurriU — Mr, C. M. Weed will now read a paper on 



INJURIES BY PLANT MITES. 

 BY H. GARMAN, 



• 



Great size in itself does not often serve to make an insect destruc- 

 tive. Great ])ower of multijdication does so more often. Nearly 

 all the notably destructive insect pests are of medium or small size. 

 The great numbers in which they appear confounds us in our efforts 

 at self-protection, quite as often as a lack of knowledge of their life 



