TRANSAC'lIONS OF NOKTHEkN ILL. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 283 



Step, and the hope that cheered us on. How sanguine we were that we 

 would soon see on almost every farm in Illinois a large and flourishing 

 orchard, which would each year produce enough for the family of its 

 owner, and many barrels for shipment to our large towns and cities, of 

 such apples as Red Junes, Hockings, Summer Queens, Fultons, Falla- 

 waters, White Bellflowers, and a host of others. We soon found that 

 sonu varieties were not adapted to our peculiar soil or climate; yet were 

 there not a hundred varieties from which to select, which had been tried 

 and proved to be reliable liere, even at that early day ? These anticipa- 

 tions were pleasant, and doubtless served the jiurpose of ])reparing the 

 way for finding out, in after years, our ignorance and folly. Probably 

 not more than one tree in five of all those planted in that early day has 

 repaid for the care and expense, to say notliing of our chagrin at the loss 

 or failure of all the others to meet our expectations. 



Why have so many varieties, which for a time seemed to succeed, 

 tailed ? — or, what were the causes of failure ? This is a question very eas- 

 ily asked, but not so easily answered ; yet we may and do know some of 

 the causes which are within our control, and can provide against like fail- 

 ure in the future by conforming, in our selection of varieties, and modes 

 of culture, to the conditions of tree, of soil, and of climate. Even 

 those causes of failure which we have been wont to attribute to the sever- 

 ity of the winter, or some other dispensation of Providence, we can now 

 forecast, and prevent the recurrence of their effects. We have learned that 

 it is safest and best to plant but few varieties, and those which have thus 

 far best withstood all hardships, and are best fortified, both in the nature 

 of the tree and its fruit, to repel or overcome the attacks of insect enemies. 



We have also learned the fallacy of one of our earlier theories, which 

 was to keep away all enriching substances from the .soil under and around 

 our apple trees. We have found that trees are more liable to be starved 

 to death, or to that degree which invites disease and insect depredators, 

 than they are to die or become enfeebled by surfeit from overfeeding. 



The practical cjuestion, therefore, comes to us here. How shall we 

 manage our trees so as to keep them in the best possible condition to en- 

 dure all sorts of hardships — such as we cannot prevent — and yield us 

 remunerating crops of fruit '^ 



First — We must understand the 'nature of our soil, and adapt varie- 

 ties to the soil; for we find a marked difference in regard to adaptation. 

 For instance, the Winesap and Early Pennock will succeed better on 

 naturally level, rich prairie soils, than many others, while these varieties 

 are almost worthless on light land underlaid with sand, rock, or gravel, 

 where the Fameuse and the Domine would i)rove i)rofitable, if pro])erly 

 fed. No soil, however, contains a sufficient and pro[jorti{jnate supj/ly of 

 all the ingredients for the proper nutrition of both tree and fruit for any 

 great length of lime. Fresh prairie soil, rich in iiumus, does not require 

 for many years the application of barnyard manure, yet uijon these soils 

 it has been found that the application of lime and wood ashes increases 

 the quantity and improves the quality of the fruit. Even the rich prairie 

 soils, liowever, do in time fail to furuish sufficient food, as seen in the 



