280 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



form, when it is about to become mere humus, and they need that or 

 some other organic substance pretty liberally supplied. 



I do not recommend this in view of manurial qualities, but as a me- 

 chanical amelioration, and as such I think any decaying organic substance 

 can be applied to our soils with profit. Those who are so situated that 

 they can readily and economically obtain peat or muck (and I suppose 

 you all know what each is, and how they are distinguished) will find that 

 repeated annual dressings will be most beneficial, and as a drought pre- 

 ventive, I am convinced nothing is better. 



Mr. McAfee's paper elicited an animated and interesting discussion, 

 participated in by Messrs. Bryant, Galusha, Pennington, Minkler, 

 Douglas, Scofield, the President, and others, all of whom, except Dr. 

 Pennington, attributed the damage to fruit trees to the three consecutive 

 years of drought, followed by the severe and continued cold of the last 

 winter ; the trees being reduced in vitality, also by overbearing. These 

 discussions being similar to those upon this topic at the State Society's 

 meeting, already published in this volume, they are mainly omitted here. 

 (See reports of Vice-Presidents ; also, discussions on pages 148-159.) 



Dr. Pennington thought that the death of so many fruit trees last 

 season was owing solely to the two causes of reduced vitality from over- 

 bearing, and the succeeding intensely cold winter. 



Mr. Galusha explained that the excessive dryness of the soil — one 

 of the causes to which the damage to trees has been generally attributed — 

 could be prevented by mulching in June ; also recommended the planting 

 of groves to check the force of the winds, which greatly accelerate evapo- 

 ration, and which also, in an intensely cold atmosphere, conduct the heat 

 from the trees with great rapidity. 



Mr. McAfee contended that no rule of hardiness of varieties could 

 be predicated upon the experience of the last year, as the conditions and 

 effects were abnormal. He would not recommend planting trees on low, 

 wet ground, neither on very dry ground with a loose, gravelly subsoil, but 

 on ground not deficient in either moisture or humus, that the trees may 

 be kept in a healthy, vigorous state. 



Mr. Douglas stated that he had some trees on a very dry, gravelly 

 soil ; and that if these trees go into winter with the soil very dry, they 

 are sure to be damaged, while others, on a more compact soil, moderately 

 moist, are uninjured. 



Mr. Suel Foster, of Iowa, attributed the damage to the intense and 

 long continued cold, freezing the trees dry — as a wet cloth will freeze dry 

 if hung out in an intense cold air. 



Mr. Scofield and others differed from this view, as there were several 

 instances cited in which the roots of trees were found dead last spring,while 

 the tops were fresh, and cions taken from them and grafted grew well. 



On motion, several persons were constituted honorary members of 



the Society. (See list of members.) 



The Society then adjourned till seven o'clock this evening. 



