156 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Now, I had some Morellos that were top grafted, or budded ; some 

 of them failed, and some did not. Where they failed, in the same row 

 there are Morellos living and doing well, that made good growth this 

 year. Not far from them, I had a row of Mahaleb, of which there was 

 not a twig killed in the whole lot. So that it must be in the location or 

 situation, or it must be electricity or atmospheric influence. 



Mr. Wier — Last summer, a year ago, I budded something like a 

 thousand orchard trees — the Early Richmond — ^just put one bud in the 

 leading shoot of the tree of the Shepherd cherry, and wrapped it with 

 common bass matting. Last year, when I came to cut the graft back, I 

 found about a quarter of them that did well, another quarter of them 

 started very slowly, and others not all. Was it just that slight wound 

 which caused the tree above to die, or was it the bass matting around it ? 



Mr. Riley — I will just give one or two facts. I think all these 

 effects might be traced to their causes if we had a better knowledge of 

 the facts. Broadly speaking, I think the meteorology of the last few 

 years has had to do with it. But there are many other specific causes. 

 For two or three years previously we had had excessive heat and drought ; 

 and notwithstanding we had abundance of rain last spring, yet it was so 

 violent that it penetrated very little into the ground, and I could not 

 find a particle of moisture three or four feet down ; there was not a par- 

 ticle of life to the roots. Was it any wonder that many of the vines were 

 dying ? Here we have a beautiful illustration of this system of neglect in 

 vine culture, that has been advised this year and last year. Many of our 

 grapes showed neglect last year ; and wherever the vineyards have been 

 neglected the grounds have become baked, and the vines were all killed. 

 This is one case in point, showing how very important it is that they 

 should not be neglected. 



Then there are the direct causes of failure in the drought, and in the 

 excessive cold that succeeded it. The thermometer with us was 26° 

 below zero, and yet I know peach orchards where there was scarcely a 

 limb killed. That could be accounted for by the position of the orchard 

 and condition of the soil. I think the excessive drought and the severe 

 winter are the chief causes of the failure. 



Mr. Greene — We have heard all sorts of experiences within the last 

 few years — yes, within the last few months — in reference to this subject. 

 It comes several months after the difficulties have been realized, and when 

 the circumstances attending them are, to a certain extent, out of mind. 



Now I want to suggest this as indicative of the advantages to flow 

 from what I proposed earlier in the afternoon ; we need to have these 



