36 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



In the Grand Prairie we have much grounds for encouragement upon 

 the subject of "fruit raising," when even in Egypt we hear of failures; 

 and while we have not been allowed to enter the ring by frowns from 

 our timber friends, we, this year, have great reason to be thankful and 

 to take courage — it may yet turn out we are in the "fruit growing 



resrion." 



T. L. Bacon, of Pana, Christian County, says: "An abundance of 

 small fruits; apples plenty and mostly very good; some complaint that 

 they are not keeping as well as usual. I think it is owing to their being 

 gathered too soon for the warm weather we have had. Peaches very 

 plenty and fine, except the earliest varieties — they were full of worms. 

 Cherries not very pjenty. Pears plenty and fine; we had fine specimens 

 on dwarf trees planted in the spring of 1S69." 



H. J. Dunlap, of Champaign, says: " Strawbemes, blackberries, 

 grapes, and apples were a full crop and paid well ; while currants, goose- 

 berries, and cherries were a failure. Season dry. No new insects this 

 year." 



In this vicinity (Mattoon), we have had an abundant crop of small 

 fruits, and an increased interest is being manifested in their planting and 

 culture. James Riddle gave the following as his observations : " Straw- 

 berry crop good — none equal to Wilson's Albany. Raspberries very 

 fine ; Doolittle for market, Purple Cane for home market and family use, 

 yield well. Much pleased with the Miami, or Cluster, and the Davison 

 Thornless. Raised splendid beiTies, and shall increase his planting of 

 that variety. Lawtons full and very fine. Kittatinny full and fine, and 

 ripe when they appear so, while Lawtons are not.-" 



We raised a fair crop of currants. The borers are on the increase. 

 Gooseberries, in sheltered places, were full. Pears destroyed by snow 

 storm mixed with hail when in bloom, except in sheltered places. 

 Orchards sliould have hedges or timber belts about them, and nothing 

 surer, we will then succeed. Apple crop only moderate. Codling moth 

 busy, and brought all the crop into market early. The Northern Spy 

 bore well this year, and the trees were rather young, an exception to the 

 rule. Peaches plenty, but rather under size, except on young trees. 

 People have not all yet learned that there is such a thing as a peach-tree 

 borer ^ and the borers thereby improve their opportunity to bore. 



The more light and knowledge, the larger and finer fruits; you must 

 have healthy ti^ees before fine fruits. One remarkable case of pear blight 

 — trees grew in vegetable garden, have borne full crops for the last five 

 years. This year the grounds were not cultivated and the trees almost 

 all blighted to the ground, apparently dying of neglect. Rather against 

 this idea oi going to grass. 



M. C. McLain, of Charleston, Coles County, says : " In the blooming 

 season all kinds of fruit trees (peaches excepted) gave great promise of 

 an abundant yield of fruit, but in all instances except that of the May 

 cherry, we were doomed to disappointment, and especially is this true of 

 the timber regions (where apples particularly have hitherto been consid- 

 ered a sure crop). Both the apple and pear set an abundance of fruit, 



