270 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



be piofitablc without care; grapes in California produce abundantly in 

 their wild state, whilst in Northern Illinois cattle can only be made 

 pi-ofitable with the best of care, and Avith it grapes, as we know, can be 

 profitabl}^ grown. In each case where so much care, by reason of 

 climate, is made necessary for success, we tind the quality of the matured 

 article, or gi'owth produced, much improved thereby. It is so with the 

 pear. The quality of those raised here can not be surpassed. I have 

 raised samples of the Duchess de Angouleme weighing twenty-five 

 ounces, and of very fine quality. 



We have many good farmers, who have made fruit culture only 

 incidental, who will say fruit-raising is not profitable, and all because 

 they do not devote as much attention to this branch, and do not give 

 their trees credit for the bushels used by their large family of children 

 and the many more bushels allowed to waste for the want of attention 

 whilst they are seeking profit from some other branch of their business 

 to the neglect of this. Place these same orchards in the hands of others, 

 who, from a limited amount of acreage for other crops, are compelled to 

 see after this interest, to the sale of all surplus, and we see quite a difler- 

 ent result. 



Of such, we have many examples in this county. Men who have 

 accumulated money, built good houses, etc., all from the product of 

 their orchards. But such we find have made choice (by accident or 

 otherwise) of some naturally well-drained and sheltered location for their 

 enterprise. 



I have sometimes found a few remaining trees — in good bearing 

 condition — of some old pioneer orchard thirty to thirty-five years planted, 

 whilst the orchard has disappeared, and have been led to seek a cause for 

 this; and upon close investigation have found that some old washed-out 

 roadway, eight or ten feet in depth, has furnished drainage to such trees. 

 In other cases, I have found a well from which the farm has received its 

 supply of water the cause; and again, a drain laid to drain the cellar, 

 giving life and usefulness to these old relics of the past. From such 

 out-croppings in favor of drainage, we should be quick to receive instruc- 

 tion; but we too frequently pass over such teachings, preferring to be 

 teachers rather than to be taught. 



The old mining lots (perforated with shafts as they are) in this 

 vicinity will at some future day be found to be our very best locations 

 for fruit-raising. 



Yoiu's, very respectfully, 



R. S. NORKIS. 



Galena, December, 1870. 



RICHLAND COUNTY. 



(). B. Galusha, Secretary^ etc., Morris, III. : 



Dear Sir: — Replying to your communication of Nov. 7, I submit 

 the following facts: 



In 1823, James Parker planted the fii"st orchard in the southern portion 

 of Richland County. There v^'ere seven or eight varieties of apples in 



