4 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Grapes — Delaware, Hartford Prolific, Diana and most other sorts 

 killed to the ground, unless protected ; Concord and Clinton were 

 uninjured. 



Peach trees were partially killed. I had a hundred or more two 

 year old peach seedlings in nursery; last fall I trenched down on each 

 side of the row, taking away a large portion of the roots to graft the 

 Wild Goose plum on ; these were but slightly injured, while about one 

 or two rods at the end of the row were not trenched, and they were 

 nearly all killed to the ground. 



I had a few two years old Orange Quince standing in nursery, that 

 in spring were not in the least injured ; with me, heretofore, they have 

 almost always, when left out during the winter, unprotected, been killed 

 badly. 



Hope that some of our old and experienced horticulturists will be 

 able to explain and give the reason why some of our heretofore hardy 

 varieties of fruits are so injured, while many of the tender sorts are com- 

 paratively uninjured. I have examined many orchards in my own county 

 protected by timber and timber belts, and found them fully as much 

 injured as those standing without protection on the bleak prairie. 



The great injury done to fruit and fruit trees the past winter — 

 almost a failure of the larger fruits — combined with a short crop of the 

 cereals and the general panic, has made the fruit-growers' road a hard 

 one to travel ; but, notwithstanding all these drawbacks, it is with pleas- 

 ure I have to report an increasing desire among the horticulturists, 

 farmers and others in the first district to plant fr.uit and ornamental trees, 

 and many have, the past year, commenced to plant evergreens, and 

 ornamental and deciduous trees on the prairie, for shade, timber and 

 wind breaks, which I hope will be continued until every farm and 

 orchard will be protected by screens of evergreens and timber belts. 



L. Woodard, of Marengo, McHenry county, reports as follows : 



"i^r. President and Gentletnen of the State Horticultiiral Society : 



"Having been appointed correspondent to the 'Illinois State Horticultural Society' 

 for the county of McHeniy, and informed by your Secretary to make such reports as 

 are appropriate, I will, therefore, endeavor to briefly give a report of the progress of 

 Horticulture in our section. 



" I would first state that it is with pleasure that I have noted the increasing interest 

 manifested by farmers and others in planting fruit and ornamental trees. In so doing 

 they are not only enhancing the value of their own lands, but beautifying the face of 

 the country, and preparing a legacy for future generations. In showing up the matter 

 in question, you will excuse me if I relate some of my own experience. 



"Late in the fall of 1851 I removed from Syracuse, N. Y., and took up my abode 

 in Marengo, where I commenced the nursery business in a small way. My means 

 being somewhat limited, it was six or seven years before I began to think of setting an 

 orchard. For this purpose I cleared off a grove of young timber, and set out about six 

 hundred apple trees. 



"The soil is a sandy loam, with some gravel and a very little clay. The subsoil 

 (two feet below) is gravel and clay. 



"The Red Astrachan, Sops of Wine and Duchess of Oldenburgh have paid a very 

 good profit, the latter being the most profitable variety of its season, ripening in the 



