248 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



SfrnirJiern'rs Avere as near a failure as they could l)(\ for what we 

 (lid get were only knots and buttons. 



Most of my berries were in full bloom when the frost of the 7th 

 and 8th of May came, and it froze them to death, and hurt many 

 that wei-e in the bud; and after the frost, what few were left, got 

 washed so much by the excessive heavy rains and cold wnnds that 

 followed, destroyed the fertilizing power, and the fruit did not set. 



Blackberries — Snyder bore but little through this section of 

 countrv on account of the excessive wet. 



PROGRESS IN HORTICULTURE. 



BY S. G. MINKLER. OF OSWEGO. 



Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Hortieiiltiiral Societij or 

 Nortliern Illinois : 



All there is of horticulture within the bounds of this Society is 

 progress. In 1833 (the year I came to Illinois) the ground that 

 your beautiful city stands on belonged to the red man. But soon 

 the pale-faces, so-called by the Indians, found that this land was too 

 valuable for the red men, and they were pushed farther west to give 

 place to agricultural and horticultural pursuits. 



Many, in that day, supposed that trees would not grow on the 

 prairie soils because they had not. But it was soon found out that 

 whatever seeds were put in the soil it w^ould bring forth fruit — trees 

 not excepted. Probably, in 1833^ there were not live hundred fruit 

 trees within the southern bounds of this Society. I then saw forty 

 or fifty trees set out seven miles north of Ottawa, and they w^ere 

 seedlings brought from Ohio. In '35 or '36 some trees were brought 

 from Ohio and planted by Henry Misner near Newark, then LaSalle 

 County. Two years later some trees were brought in what is now 

 Randall County, by Ebenezer Morgan. They came by th.e w^ay of 

 the Ohio River. They were well dried up; he buried them in a 

 springy side-hill for three weeks, and by this means he saved a few. 

 My first attempt at horticulture was. I think, in 1836. A French- 

 man by the name of Sperha, who settled at the grove before the 

 Sioux war, brought some apple seeds which he planted. They pretty 

 much took care of themselves. However some grew, but being neg- 

 lected soon stood in grass. 



I being anxious to set out some trees, but like the most of the 

 pioneers of that day. without money, I swung the grain cradle for 

 four of these seedlings per day. Surely was not that progress in 

 horticulture. These I top-grafted when scions could be procured. 

 Some time after trees were brought from Edgar County and dissem- 

 inated through this country. What apples there were were brought 

 from the south in prairie schooners with an apple stuck on a stick 

 for a sign. 



