276 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Fo.ur years ago a tree ' in the Crocker orchard yielded fortv-five 

 bushels. Many of the trees were seedlinos, and even the g-rafted fruit 

 was rather inferior. They were brought from New York and Ohio, and*' 

 were planted on the second bottom, in a rather sandy soil. A large por- 

 tion of them were prostrated by a terrible gale on the 13th day of May, 

 185S, but most of these have continued bearing in their prostrate posi- 

 tions up the present time. 



In 1840 Joseph Pelzley planted the first orchard on the Bluff" on clay 

 soil. The trees in this orchard were mostly grafted fruit. While the 

 above-mentioned orchards have been badly neglected and mostly in grass, 

 this one has been well cultivated and manured, and is in a sfood bearinsf 

 condition, making a source of revenue to the owner. At present there 

 are many fine ordiards on the clay soil of the upland. 



Grapes — In 1848 Adam Erkstien brought the first Catawba and 

 .Isabella grape layers from Cincinnati, and planted them on the steep 

 slope of a branch of Partridge Creek. He raised a number of canes and 

 cut them all back to two or three buds each, on what might be called 

 the " Spur system," continuing this mode of pruning, accompanied with 

 severe summer pruning. These vines, though still living, have never 

 borne well, and ha\e been affected with leaf-blig-ht. The beiries have 

 rotted to some extent. 



The soil is a black sand and gravel, well adaj^ted to grape growing, 

 but the situation is a bad one, being on the declivity of a narrow creek 

 valley, where late frosts in the spring frequently destroy the tender shoots, 

 and the heated air of damp summer days brings mildew on fruit and 

 foliage. 



Grape Rot seems to be most destructive where the vines do not have 

 a free circulation of air — at least my own observation has proved it so. 

 During the wet season of 1S69, I lost my whole crop by rot, my vines 

 being planted on bottom soil and sheltered by an elevation on the east 

 and west; while in the same season some of my neighbors, only a few 

 hundred yards distant, had a full crop, their vines being in more exposed 

 situations, and on poorer soil. 



In 1858 I planted the following, which were then new varieties here, 

 viz: Concord, Delaware, Hartford, Virginia Seedling, and Herbemont. 

 Of all these varieties the Concord seems to be the only remunerative one, 

 except where the Hartford can be sold as a table grape, on account of its 

 earlincss. 



Virginia Seedling is a good wine grape, but does not yield suffi- 

 ciently. 



Delaware suffers from leaf-blight, and is badly preyed upon by the 

 gall louse. 



Herbemont is too tender. Rogers' Hybrids, Nos. 4 and 15, I find 

 commendable varieties. 



Grape growing has lately been tried on prairie soil, and partly with 

 good success, especially where the soil is well drained. 



Pears — There are sevei"al old standard pear trees (of summer and 

 fall varieties), in the bottoms, and some on the bluffs — the oldest probably 



