TRANSACTIONS HoKTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 257 



The winter of 1872-3 destroyed or weakened many fruit trees; that of 

 1874-5 was still more destructive. Unlike the damage done by the destruc- 

 tive winter of 1855-6, whicli was apparent in the trunks and branches, only 

 the roots appeared to be injured by these dry winters ; the entire tree above 

 ground appearing in the spring of 1875 '^° ^^ entirely unharmed. I have 

 a young orchard of about 500 trees from three to five inches in diameter, 

 some of which were killed by the winter of 1S74-5. Last spring I had 

 those that were dead, or seemed to be nearly so, to the number of sixty, 

 grubbed up and replaced. During the past summer at least as many 

 more have gone by the board, and how many others may be irreparably 

 damaged it is impossible to say. My experience of forty years in orchard 

 culture is adverse to the idea that the apple tree is likely, unless in excep- 

 tional cases, to be long-lived in this climate. 



ARTHUR BRYANT. 



On motion of Dr. Pratt, Mr. H. M. Thompson was made an honor- 

 ary member of this Society, and invited to participate in its deliberations. 

 Mr. O. B. Galusha, from the committee, read the following report 



upon the 



UTILIZATION OF FRUITS. 



Afr. President : As a member of your Committee on Utilization of 

 fVuits, I report: That I have learned very little that was new to me 

 during the past year, but have observed so much waste in fruits, and so 

 much depreciation in market value of fruits and their products, by mis- 

 management, carelessness, and failure to apply truths taught so often in 

 this and the State Horticultural Society, that I am inclined to devote this 

 paper mainly to the reiteration of these facts, and to exhortation to fruit 

 growers, and fruit consumers also, endeavoring to show the profits of 

 carefulness and learning, and applying the best modes. 



It has been repeatedly stated in the meetings of horticultural societies 

 of the State, and published in all horticultural and agricultural journals, 

 that if apples are picked carefully from the tree and transferred immedi- 

 ately to a cool place — being handled during the process as one would 

 handle eggs — they will keep twice as long as those which are carelessly 

 handled (even if hand-picked), so that some of the cells of the flesh are 

 ruptured, though no bruise may appear externally; yet I have seen orchard- 

 ists picking their apples by hand (for this all intelligent fruit-growers 

 regard as essential) and tossing them into a basket, perhaps four or five 

 feet distant, as farmers ordinarily treat their potatoes. 



While visiting at the house of a friend, an intelligent orchardist, 

 about a month since (the last of December), 1 was treated to a dish of 

 beautiful, fresh-flavored Maiden's Blush. Upon inquiring, "How did 

 you keep them so nice till this time?" he replied, "I picked them care- 

 fully and carried them immediately to my cellar, and they have not been 

 disturbed since." 



This same orchardist keeps Snow apples to March and Jonathans till 

 May. He practices giving his apples a shower bath, laving them three or 



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