150 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



stitntion enonp,'h to stand our cold winters and hot summers, and by 

 planting a little below the bud there is not much danger of suckers 

 choking out the bud, and again they can be readily discovered and 

 rubbed off. should they make their appearance. The manettia is the 

 stock mostly used, though seven sisters and Wm. Banksia answers 

 finely for choice tender teas. F. A. BALLER. 



Report of Committee on Utilizing Fruits, G. W. Hilliard, 

 Brighton, and J. S. Rodgers. Marengo: 



UTILIZING OF FEUIT. 



In this age of hurry and progress of what use is it to spend so 

 much time in learning how best to grow large c^uantities of fruit, if 

 we do not also learn how to best utilize the crop that it may net us 

 the most dollars and cents? 



Even our comparatively slow-going ancestors, dating as far 

 back as Father Adam and Mother Eve, took care to make use of as 

 much as possible of the products of Eden. We may be thankful 

 that the mistakes of our forefathers have been made a part of his- 

 tory, to warn us to be cautious. 



Though it may not be possible for us to fall into such serious 

 error, involving so great loss as did our first parents in the disposition 

 of our fruit, yet it will pay us to consider well the subject and let the 

 experience of our parents, their successes and failures, influence us 

 in our management of future crops. 



Among the successful methods of utilizing fruit now in prac- 

 tice may be mentioned, first, marketing the best, then evaporating, 

 making jelly, canning, making cider and vinegar, and feeding to 

 stock. 



In a county like ours, which is capable of producing such enor- 

 mous crops of fruit, it would be simply a suicidal policy to rush our 

 product on the market as fast as matured. Such a system has so 

 often been attempted that you are well aware of the consequences: 

 markets overstocked, commission men write to you to "hold back 

 shipments,'' " fruit a drug," " selling to peddlers for enough to pay 

 charges or less." Such experiences naturally lead us to seek other 

 methods of utilizing our fruit. 



Making jelly, evaporating and canning are comparatively new, 

 but have already grown to large proportions, and are rapidly utilizing 

 a large share of our surplus fi'uits, and yielding a fair profit for 

 capital and labor invested, but not having had any experience with 

 them I will confine myself to ways with which I am more familiar, 

 and give you in a few words my plan of disposing of fruit. 



As I have quit growing fruit for market, except apples, I shall 

 speak only of that variety. The early kinds I deem unfit subjects 



