332 TEANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTUEAL 



dred quarts of berries. Farmers can raise just as many strawberries 

 to the acre as they can potatoes, and it is a shame that they do 

 not do it. 



Mr. Minier spoke at some length on the benefits of fruit and 

 how it would save medical aid. and said he thought the time was 

 coming when we would raise as good fruit in Illinois as we ever had. 



Prof. Budd — I well remember the time when we could grow 

 good peaches. But we have had a change in our climate. The 

 atmosphere is not what it used to be. The south winds bring just 

 as much moisture as they ever did; but the prairie grass and sloughs 

 that used to exist throughout the country are no more. The grass 

 has been plowed under and the sloughs have dried up, so that the 

 winds from the western prairies do not bring the moisture they used 

 to, but are hot and dry. The sudden changes of atmosphere from 

 wet to dry are very injurious to the foliage of many of our trees, and 

 those varieties having thin leaves can not withstand these changes. 

 The Ben Davis first lost its foliage, before it failed, by the hard win- 

 ters; and I do not think we will get our fruit back until the prairies 

 are covered with trees and grass, which will put moisture in the 

 atmosphere. The Duchess apple has broader and thicker leaves than 

 most varieties, while that of the Ben Davis is not near so heavy, and 

 it can not withstand the hardships that a variety with stronger foli- 

 age can. It is very necessary to have timber and forest trees to pro- 

 tect our orchards, and not until then will we have plenty of apples. 



President Barnard — The sprouting of the locust is no detriment 

 as a wind-break. Its spreading in this respect is valuable for orchard 

 protection, both in this State and the Western States. 



The President — We will now listen to a report on 



THE EFFECT OF HORTICULTURE ON HUMANITY. 



BY H. MORTIMER. 



Mr. President: In order to ascertain the effect of anything it 

 is well to consider it as absent, and then, again, as present; the dif- 

 ference resulting from such comparisons is the effect produced. In 

 ancient times men who were not wholly uncivilized owned cattle and 

 other stock, which they carefully attended, driving them from place 

 to place as new pastures were needed. In these primitive times there 



