192 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



California. Especially is this effect noticed as regards the pear, which, 

 to use the words of \'^an Mons, is " a tree of society and pleads to live 

 in town." I have the past season seen the W'hite Doyenne grown in 

 the city of Boston, in perfection as regards size and fairness, and the 

 Sweetwater grape is every year produced, free from mildew or other 

 imperfections, in similar situations. 



The indirect effect of large cities in advancing Horticulture — drawing 

 tribute to their support from far and near, and returning more or 

 less of refuse to fertilize the land, though not as wide as the sources 

 from whence it is drawn — the stimulation given to Horticulture by wealth 

 which desires its^products, the accumulation of horticultural as well as 

 other intelligence at such centers of all that is good and all that is evil, 

 needs no more than passing mention. If it be true, as said by Lord 

 Bacon, that "■ men come to build stately sooner than to garden finely," 

 we can only expect Horticulture to arrive at perfection after the growth 

 of great cities. 



The extensive cultivation of fruit, by accumulating food for insects 

 and fungus growth, which under such circumstances will multiply with 

 far greater rapidity than when trees are scattered over a wide extent of 

 teiTitory, just as certainly as the trees themselves will thrive better in a 

 fertile soil, than if compelled to range over twice or thrice the extent of 

 meager soil, appears at fii'st sight to defeat itself. I need not expatiate 

 on the increase of codling worms, caterpillars, canker worms, curculios, 

 and the legion of other insects from this cause. It is sufficient to com- 

 pare New England with Kansas, or Ohio with California, to perceive 

 the change which has taken place. 



Progress in fruit culture is impossible without the introduction of 

 new varieties of fruit, but in disseminating these we have hitherto been 

 unable to avoid the dissemination of noxious insects and diseases. The 

 introduction from Europe of the imported currant worm and the cab- 

 bage worm {Pieris rapce)^ as well as of that longer-known pest, the 

 woolly aphis, and other insects which have been mentioned here to-night, 

 are notable examples of this. 



The effect of cultivation on the duration of varieties deserves attention. 

 Whatever we may hold in regard to the theories advanced by Knight or other 

 writers on this point. It must be practically admitted that certain varieties 

 of fruit, once of the highest excellence, have become worthless for general 

 cultivation over a large part of our country, and no means of staying the 

 progress of this deterioration are known to us. I must be permitted 

 once more to mention that oft-quoted trio of worthies, the White Doy- 

 enne, Brown Beurre, and St. Germain pears. It is undeniable that these 

 varieties are so subject to be attacked by fungus growth that their general 

 cultivation has been abandoned, and it has been generally taught and be- 

 lieved that other varieties, cotemporaneous with them, have been discarded 

 for the same reasons. But on recalling the observations which I have been 

 able to make on varieties dating back, like the three already mentioned, 

 two hundred years, (I do not mean to say that I have observed them 

 for that length of time.) I find that the great majority have not degen- 



