76 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



"I had some two thousand trees in nursery rows, (two to three feet high,) and lost 

 about half of them the past season. I might have saved a portion of them, perhaps, by- 

 timely cutting off at the collar. 



" Hoping the day will soon arrive when tree planting will receive more attention 

 than it now does, I remain, 



" Yours, respectfully. 



"C. F. LEE." 



MARSHALL COUNTY. 



" Practical horticulture has been so disheartening the past season, that I could 

 hardly make up my mind to send in a report from this county. Not only were fruit 

 trees greatly reduced in vitality by the severity of the past winter, and previous causes^ 

 but a drought of great severity set in at the most critical time of the summer, causing us 

 to lose many trees that would have survived and done well if we could have had a good 

 growing season. The drought killed nearly all the trees that were transplanted last 

 spring ; none survived but those that had the very best of care. I have given careful 

 attention to the effects of the winter on our orchards, and find that about one-third of 

 orchard trees, old and young, on the rich soils of the prairies, are dead ; another third so 

 badly injured as to be worthless ; the remaining third will regain their thrift, though all 

 are materially injured. 



" All trees and plants that were subject to the exremes of the past winter — no odds 

 of what species, or how hardy — were greatly reduced in vitality; and no trees, whether 

 transplanted or not — and no odds how favorable their situations were — made an average 

 growth the past summer ; nothing but plants grown from seeds the past spring made an 

 average growth, and but very few of these. Yet the season has not been without its 

 lessons, though very discouraging. 



" As to the hardiness of different varieties and species, I have but little that is new to 

 offer. Some kinds that we had thought fully hardy prove not to be so ; notably among 

 these are the Ben Davis and Red Astrachan Apple trees, which, though among the hardi- 

 est, do not equal in nursery or orchard some varieties that had not been classed as ' iron 

 clad.' The Milam, Wagoner and Sops of Wine prove hardier, and the tree least 

 injured in my grounds in nurseiy is Sops of Wine, though Wagoner, Milam, Fourth of 

 July, Fameuse and Late Strawberry about equal it. 



" The Apple tree least injured in orchard, old or young, as it was after the terrible 

 winter of 1855-56, is Roman Stem; the next best, judging from its crop of fruit and 

 thrift of tree, is Maiden'' s Blush ! the next. Willow Twig, then Ben Davis, Stark, 

 Rambo, etc. I find that many varieties that are quite tender in nursery are among the 

 hardiest in orchard. Thus, Stark proved the most injured in nursery of any variety on 

 my list, yet fruiting trees are but very little injured; the same proves trae of Maiden's 

 Bhish, Rambo, Grimes' Golden, etc. The Apple crop in this neighborhood might be 

 called a complete failure; 'Pear crop ditto. Two-thirds of the leading varieties of Pear 

 trees appear to be ruined. Of small fruits of all kinds we had a full half crop, and 

 some plantations that had extra or proper care gave bountiful crops. 



" Among new fruits, I would favorably mention the Japan Pear, which proves 

 hardy and very productive ; it will probably take the place of the Quince in the north- 

 west as a cooking fruit. 



" The Wild Goose Plum proves hardier and more productive than the Miner, and I 

 think nearer Curculio proof. It is of veiy much firmer quality and appearance, ripen- 

 ing with me from the 15th to the 25th of July. I have a Plum of the same family, that 

 I received from my friend the lamented Downer, known as the Wayland, that surpasses 

 the Wild Goose in quality to a marked degree — it is a month later. I have no doubt 

 but that in the Chickasaw (P. Chicasa) family of native Plums, we will find eventually 

 one of the most valuable fruits for the Northwest. 



" In the family of Apples known as Siberian Crabs, I am well convinced, from ob- 

 servation and from fruiting several seedlings the past season, we will yet find varieties of 

 great value; we have those of very great value at present, but each season gives us 

 advance. We have them now almost equaling the best pears to eat, and others equaling 

 he peach for cooking. 



