236 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Strawberries were finely flavored, but in most localities they were 

 small, and their season of short duration. Those who formerly grew 

 them for the Chicago market became discouraged by the low prices a 

 few years since, and abandoned their culture to such an extent tliat the 

 county towns take the crop grown in their respective vicinities at fair 

 prices. 



The crops of Raspberries^ Currants^ and Blackberries were also cut 

 short by the drouth, which will induce many in the future to adopt the 

 practice of mulching. 



Gooseberries^ in my immediate vicinity, were in some gardens a full 

 crop, and in others an entire failure. 



Cherries — Common and English Morello wxre abundant. Early 

 Richmond generally matured not more than one-fourth of a crop. E. A. 

 Richmond, of Geneseo, says: "Not one perfect specimen." 



Peaches are not generally grown. Qiioting from I. VV. Stewart, of 

 Florid, Putnam County : " not so much as they should be (in the south- 

 ern part of this district). I have had peaches for the last three seasons, 

 and a fair crop each year; this season more than we wanted to use — 

 seedlings, of course — but many of them of very good quality." 



Apples. — Apples were generally an abundant crop, free from scab, 

 in marked contrast with the crop of 1869. The codling moth still con- 

 tinues to be a great evil. Pasturing with an}- kind of stock to eat the 

 fallen fruit tends to keep them in check in some degree; but it is hoped 

 that many will be induced to try bands of hay or rags placed around the 

 bodies or in the forks of the trees, examining them, and killing the 

 worms as often as once in ten days. In my own orchard, there seems to 

 be a difference in varieties, as to their liability to be attacked by tlie 

 moth. Westfield Seek-no-further appears to be troubled less than anv 

 other variety. 



The borer is very troublesome where introduced. Washing with 

 hot soap has not with me proved good protection. Careful inspection 

 twice a year is the only effectual remedy that I have tried, though it 

 would seem that encasing trees with bark, as practiced by Mr. J. W. 

 Cochran, of Blue Island, or with tarred paper, applied in May, must be 

 effectual. In consequence of the length of our warm season, many 

 perfect beetles anticipated their proper time for exit, and came out late 

 this fall, it is hoped, to be killed by the frost before depositing their eggs; 

 or if deposited, that the frost may destroy them. 



Pears gave but a light crop; in some localities, as in Putnam County, 

 Mr. Stewart reports "free from blight;" but they never blighted worse 

 with me. One standard tree of White Doyenne, which appeared dying 

 from blight in the spring of 1869, was then thoroughly root-pruned, antl 

 is recovering. One tree, twenty-five years old, on thorn root, bore a good 

 crop of fine fruit. 



Plums were generally destroyed by curculio. Mr. S. D. Scofield, 

 of Freeport, reports " the Miner is the only plum tree that has seemed 

 to repay for planting; has done well in moist land, and I am told by 

 close observers, that in such localities it seldom, if ever, fails of producing 



