292 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of acres of lands, that are too broken to be of value for continued cultiva- 

 tion, that can be most profitably used for timber culture. 



On the utility of live posts in the more northern portions of our 

 State where the Osage Orange is uncertain, your committee consider this 

 subject worthy of public attention. And also this may be recommended 

 in other parts of the State, along railroad lines where hedges are liable to 

 damage from fire from the locomotives. It is believed that the European 

 Larch, and perhaps also the American Larch, is well adapted to that pur- 

 pose. Other species from our own forests may be worthy of trial for the 

 same purpose. 



We also concur in recommending to this Society to use an influence 

 in having all our fruits sold by weight ; as under our present system it is 

 often very difficult to learn from market reports the actual price of fruits 

 in our markets. 



Respectfully submitted. 



TYLER McWHORTER,) 

 ARTHUR BRYANT, [ Committtee. 

 SAMUEL EDWARDS, \ 



Mr. Foster said he was glad that this Society, as well as the State 

 Horticultural Society, is in favor of selling fruits and vegetables by weight. 

 There is .such a law in Iowa. 



Mr. McWhorter thought the Iowa law was deficient in that it de- 

 fines how many pounds in a bushel. He thought the word bushel should 

 be abolished, as it only suggested an approximate amount, unless defined 

 in pounds ; and if so defined, meant nothing of advantage either to buyer 

 or seller, as it is the number oS. pounds that regulates the price. 



Mr. Foster gave the weights of fruits, as established by law, in 

 Iowa, as follows : Apples, pears, peaches, quinces, forty-eight pounds per 

 bushel ; grapes, currants, cherries, gooseberries, forty pounds per bushel ; 

 raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc., thirty-two pounds per bushel. 



Dr. Pennington favored the plan of using live posts for fence. 



Mr. Minkler exhibited a section of a cotton-wood tree with the end 

 of a rail inserted, over which the tree had grown about six inches. This 

 rail was sawed square, the bark hewed from the trees, and the rail fitted 

 in and held in place by nails, "by toeing in," as it is called. He recom- 

 mends the use of European Larch for live posts. In thirteen years the 

 trees will do for railroad ties, cut off above the fence. He has planted 

 larches eight feet apart, and intends to spring in stout boards, and also 

 use one or more wires in connection. He has good fence made in this 

 manner. 



Mr. Powell would plant larches eighteen inches apart and make a 

 live fence. He believes in the White Willow for this purpose ; has seen 

 a good willow fence cut off five feet from the ground after growing five 

 or six years ; it is the best fence in Whiteside county. 



Mr. Bryant spoke favorably of the plan of Mr. Minkler ; would use 

 rails, by cutting a slight groove in the side of the tree, and fit the rails in 

 tightly; the European Larch is good for this purpose, because the sparks 



