STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 23 



Sofs of Wine.—h small crop of inferior fruit. [I suspect a mistake in the identity 

 of this fruit.— ShXRETAKV.] 



Secknofurther. — Moderate in crop and size of fruit. 



Autumn Sraaar. — A good crop, but only a small part of it fair. 



One Seedling, only, out of ten varieties produced a full crop of fruit of a larger 

 than ordinary size. 



Domine every\vhere produced a large croj) of large fruit. 



Pkars were a very small crop — say not more tlian one fourth that of last year^nd 

 this failure was nearly equal in all varieties. I liine only one kind (a winter variety) 

 that bore a full crop, but the fruii of tliis was nearly spoiled by the punctures of the 

 Four-humped Curculio. 



Peaches were a light croji, except in favorable situations; some young trees bore 

 good crops of large fruit. I have trees that had borne two good crops of small fruit, 

 which this year produced good crops of fruit of very large size. 



I have a number of j'oung trees of the most approved varieties which bore a few 

 specimens each, of fruit fine in size and appearance, but all of them sour and unpleas- 

 ant. The same complaint was made of nearly all the peaches in my neighborhood. 



Cherries, of all kinds — sweet and sour — were not more than one tliird of a full 

 crop ; and this was of inferior quality. 



Currants and Gooseberries an ordinary crop. 



Raspberries bore a good crop, but a very hot sun, in one day, dried about half the 

 Black-caps. 



Strawberries fell short nearly one half in size, of the first pickings, while the last 

 pickings were still smaller and the ripening protracted to an unusual period. 



Plums failed entirely. 



Persimmons are an average crop but are not of good quality. 



Grapes promised well, but ripened imperfectly and were unfit for the press or for 

 market owing to the blighting of the leaves." 



The following letter is from the well known principal of the North- 

 western Germa/i-Efhj^lish Normal School at Galena : 



Samuel Edwards, Vice President &'c.. La Moille. 



Dear Sir: — Complying with your request, and in accordance with the duty of a 

 correspondent I will concisely write what might be of interest fron Jo Daviess Co. 



By my limited time, mostly or entirely taken up by my professional duties, but very 

 little could be done and observed by me in any other field of labor. 



1 Of new fruits in this county none were introduced, to my knowledge. But a severe 

 loss we had this fall by the departure of Capt. IJeebe, to Geneva. He did so much for 

 the development of sound m\i\ practical knowledge, that I sincerely regret his loss. 



2 The Horticultural .Society of Jo Daviess County is continuing its good work, but 

 has lost some of its best members by the departure of Messrs. Robson, a year ago, and 

 Beebe, this year. 



3 In fruit, this year was a blessed one : 



a Strawberries were plenty and of excellent quality. 



b Currants suffered by the currant worm, and were not so aliundant. 



c Raspberries were fine, and many. 



d Apples were not so plentiful ; but as there are larger and more orchards in bearing, 

 and the fruit was sound, they are at a low price, the best not over one dollar per bushel. 



e Pears were not so plenty ; too many trees suffered by the blight, and many in Mr. 

 Ehstlain's beautiful pear-orchard died from an unknown cause. 



f The Curculio, the friend of plums, appropriated most of this fruit for home con- 

 sumption ; only the " Hinkley Plum " seems not to be in his reach, and is therefore 

 regarded by him as sour, like the grape in the fable. This last variety yields well, and 

 is a safe investment. 



g The Vineyards of Jo Daviess County are gaining every year more importance. 

 The crop is so abundant, the culture so easy, the fruit so certain on the lime-stone for- 



