1:20 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



and now has no timber protection, except upon the east side, which is not 

 considered as producing any perceptible influence. This vineyard pro- 

 duced a good crop of well-ripened grapes. 



Another apple orchard of twenty acres, in the county, bore a good 

 half crop of fine fruit, yet it had no protection whatever. 



I am not prepared to say that timber land is better for orchard pur- 

 poses then prairie, as I have cultivated orchard trees in Jersey county about 

 thirty years, both in deep, black prairie soil, and in the gray soil of timber 

 lands, with rolling surface, and with no very marked difference in success. 

 Dry, well-drained soil is always a requisite of success. 



The gray soil would not commonly give so great a growth, but this 

 deficiency I have been able to make up by cultivation and mulching. 

 Our experience is that trees in grass will do as well as those in cultivation, 

 if tvell mulched \\\ the spring. 



As our correspondent in Greene county fails to report, I will say that 

 Greene is a very large, well cultivated and productive county, on the 

 north of Jersey, producing just about enough fruit for its own consump- 

 tion. The orchards of this county being small and separated from each 

 other, are probably less troubled with insects than the larger orchards, 

 though the damage to the trees by the last winter was very severe. 



I subjoin the following reports from the counties of Washington, 

 Bond, Calhoun, Macoupin, Clinton, Randolph and Madison : 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 



" In response to the circular 6f the .Secretary of the Society, I have to report that the 

 progress of Horticulture in the county of Washington was seriously checked by the 

 unusual severity of the past winter. Its condition was indeed unsatisfactoiy enough a 

 year ago, by reason of the very low prices obtained for most horticultural products, 

 together with the heavy expense attending their shipment and sale. 



" The past summer has been one of much toil with but little present profit, and no 

 very flattering prospect for the future. 



"As to a supply of fruits, failure has been the rule — very few persons having been 

 able to supply their own wants. 



" I have to remark that the low temperature of last winter resulted in the destruc- 

 tion of most of the fruit buds of nearly all kinds of fruit trees, or if not killed outright, 

 they had but a feeble and sickly existence. 



"As to the trees themselves, Apple, Cherry and Pear do not appear, in the main, to 

 be seriously damaged. 



" Peach trees fared worse ; most of the old trees — say from six to ten years — were 

 killed, while younger orchards t£'/(^;-6' they have been well c^tltivated the present season, 

 and properly cut back, have shown a vigor of growth scarcely to have been expected. 

 Neglected Peach trees, of any age, have mostly died. 



" Quinces, also, have suffered severely ; a very large percentage of the bushes hav- 

 ing been killed or badly damaged. 



" Grape vines of all sorts fared no better ; even Concord and Ives' Seedling were 

 found to be in nearly the same condition as Catawba and other sorts supposed to be less 

 hardy. But very few pounds of grapes were produced in the whole county. 



" I have not olsserved that adjacent or surrounding groves or belts of timber have 

 changed the general result. 



" Very little can be said in regard to modes of cultivation ; almost every man is a 

 law unto himself in this particular ; the ordinary and cheap methods being chiefly in 

 order as the result of small profits and almost smaller expectations ; nevertheless, the 



