28o TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



In I857, Mr. B, Pullen set the first large peach orchard ever planted 

 in the county; setting, in that and the following year, 5,000 trees. 



In 185S, Isaac Heaton, Thomas Ray, and John Martin, planted 

 orchards of from 500 to 1,500 trees each. Mr. Crosby also planted an 

 extensive orchard the same year. These orchards have all proved more 

 or less valuable, but like Mr. Crosby's original orchard, and indeed all 

 the peach orchards in the county at that time, were seriously damaged by 

 the frost of 1864, 



To these men belong much of the credit for the reputation which 

 Marion County has acquired for fruit-growing. It is no disparagement to 

 others, but a simple act of justice to say that to Mr. B. Pullen, of Cen- 

 tralia, more than to any other one man, is this credit due. Making peach 

 culture — both of trees and fruit — a speciality, he has, during the thirteen 

 years that have passed since he began the work, labored with untiring 

 faithfulness to widen and extend the Influences of his chosen avocation. 

 The success of peach culture naturally led to the extensive planting of 

 other fruits. 



The pear began to be planted in about i860, but the tendency to blight 

 in the trees has greatly retarded the extension of its culture. 



Grapes — In i860, Mr. V. Betz, and in the following year his brother, 

 John Betz, planted vineyards of Catawba and Isabella which proved 

 nearly failures. 



Subsequent plantings of Concord and Hartford Prolific, and to some 

 extent, Delaware, have proved more successful. 



One or two vineyards in the county, particularly that of Mr. A. 

 Blum, at Centralia, have been reasonably successful. This vineyard was 

 jDlanted in 1865 on prairie soil, trenched (inverted) two feet deep, but not 

 under-drained. The vines were set four feet apart each vray, and trained 

 to wire trellises. It has produced two large crops of fine fruit in the three 

 years since it came into bearing. Successful grape culture in this section, 

 however, may be set down as yet doubtful. 



Strawbc7-ries — The cultivation of the strawberry began in 1864, by 

 Messrs. Sims and Wilson, at Centralia, who that year planted thirteen 

 acres. Since that time its production has increased rapidly until it now 

 ranks second in importance among the fruit crops of the county. 



Within the past six or seven years the gathering of the wild blackberiy 

 and shipping to northen inarkets has become an extensive business, 

 and is rapidly increasing. The superior character of the Lawton and 

 other improved varieties is beginning to attract attention, and their culti- 

 vation is increasing. 



The Raspberry and other small fruits are also beginning to receive 

 attention. 



BOND COUNTY. 



BY HENRY W. WAIT. 



In answer to your interrogatories, I will say that the first orchard of 

 any extent in Bond County was planted in 1820, by John Smith, com- 

 monly called Apple John, and is situated about three miles southwest of 



