284 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



orchard has never ceased to be productive (except the Yellow Bellflower 

 and Northern Spy varieties — the latter has lately commenced, and now 

 bears fair crops annually). It is partially sheltered by an artificial grove 

 and another orchard on the west and northwest on higher ground and 

 about twenty rods distant. The soil is ordinary prairie soil, with a stratum 

 of sand and gravel al:)out five feet below the surface. The remarks in 

 my report upon apple orchards will apply to the orchards generally 

 throughout this county. 



Some persons who have planted orchards upon flat lands, without 

 ridging it for the trees, are complaining that " it is not a good country for 

 fruit." 



The orchard described in the " Ad-Interim " report, as being the most 

 profitable one seen this year, belongs to Wm. Reardon of this county, and 

 is situated four miles west of Morris, on the north side of the river. It 

 is in this orchard that the trees producing the new or unknown apj^les 

 which I described at the meeting of 1869 stands, and from vvhich cions 

 were distributed to members of the Society, both at that meeting and 

 the one of 1870. As the fruit could not be kept for exhibition at the 

 winter meeting, I give a description of it : 



Fruit medium" to quite large ; color light yellow ground, mostlv over- 

 spread with stripes and plashes of light and dark red ; form round, 

 slightly in'egular or ribbed, smaller at the stem end ; basin rather wide, 

 somewhat furrowed; calyx closed; stem long, slender, in a narrow, deep 

 cavity; flesh tender, crisp, juicy, with a mild, pleasant, sub-acid flavor; 

 quality good; season middle of September through October, succeeding 

 the Lowell. 



Mr. R. says : " I eat no other apples, while these are in season." 

 From my own knowledge of this apple — having used it last year for 

 cooking — I think it a very valuable acquisition, and, perhaps, taking into 

 account the remarkable and constant productiveness of the tree, the very 

 best of its season. I have christened it Fall King. 



Two valuable seedling apples found in this county were exhibited by 

 me at the meeting, and cions distributed. Both these give promise of 

 taking rank among our best. 



Pears. — Standard pears upon the sandy soil near the river have 

 succeeded tolerably well. Trees of Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, White 

 Doyenne, Louise Bonne de Jersey, and perhaps others have been bearing 

 in one of the gardens in Morris for six or eight years, and show little 

 signs of blight. Those on quince are not adapted to sandy soils, but 

 succeed well on the prairie in this county, until attacked by the blight, 

 as the most of them are, before they have borne their third crop. Good 

 culture without the use of stimulating manures has generally proved 

 better for dwarf trees than neglect or grass. 



The dwarf pear orchard of E, Sanford, of Morris, on a black prairie 

 soil, has been manured with liberal dressings of lime and also of stable 

 manure, the earth being plowed up to the trees, until the surface 

 along the rows is two feet higher than midway between the rows. The 

 orchard is also under-drained with tile. The trees are thrifty, with very 



