344 TRANSACTfONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



ions I will not open any discussion, but merely jremark that I find the 

 greatest success among those who cultivate and feed their trees the ?nost 

 thoroughly. 



PEARS. 



I find but few trees of any varieties living, although thousands of 

 them have been planted in this county. Most of the older trees have 

 either died from blight or neglect. Almost every farm has its few pear 

 trees, but the owners keep no record of them, and know but little about 

 them. 



About the towns I find some small orchards, mostly dwarf trees; 

 varieties principally Louise Bonne de Jersey, Duchess d'Angouleme, 

 Vicar of Winkfield, Bartlett, Beurre Diel, Beurre d'Anjou, Seckel, and 

 others. The Louise Bonne de Jersey, by all odds, does the best (as 

 dwarf), and is of good quality of fruit, also. 



Geo. H. Rugg, of Ottawa, has about 450 trees, very few in bearing yet. 



I have on my place about 200 trees, old and young, both dwarf and 

 standard, including many varieties. AH do well, except White Doy- 

 enne, which cracks badly some years. The past season it was very fine. 

 I have but very little blight. 



Early Richmond Cherry, also Large English Morello and Belle 

 Magnifique, do very well here, bearing heavy annual crops. May Duke 

 does moderately well; other varieties are not much known. Of the 

 sweet varieties, veiy few, if any, of the trees can be found ; the trees of 

 this class all having been, swept away by the cold winter of 1855-6, since 

 which time none have risked planting them. 



There are now being planted in this county many orchards contain- 

 ing from 50 to 500 trees, principally E. Richmond. My own trees are 

 nearly all on Mahaleb stock, which experience has taught me to be pref- 

 erable to the Morello on our light, bottom soils; but for the prairie, in 

 heavy, black soil or clay, would rather have trees on Morello stock. With 

 me I can see no difference in bearing, on account of the stock, but if there 

 is any, consider it is in favor of the Mahaleb. 



There are a great many Plum trees scattered over the county. The 

 varieties are principally Magnum Bonum, Smith's Orleans, Coe's Golden 

 Drop, all of the Gages, Yellow and Purple Egg, and others, which 

 annually set fine crops of fruit, but which nearly all fail to mature, and 

 drop from the tree on account of attacks by the curculio. It seems a 

 pity that the fruit which seems to be the surest here, and would never fail 

 otherwise, should be lost in this manner; but the people are getting awake 

 to the idea of combating the " Little Turk," which they can now do 

 without fear of defeat, by the use of the " catcher," invented by Dr. 

 Hull. 



Peaches are not grown to any extent of late years, as the cold winter 

 before mentioned destroyed all the trees (which were many) at that time, 

 since which, no one has had faith enough in them to plant. 



Grapes do remarkably well here, both upon the broad, open prairie, 

 and upon our sheltered river-bottoms. There are a number of old vine- 



