34^ 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



cultivation; the trees were frequently washed with caustic solutions; the 

 bark was kept smooth and healthy, and borers and all other insect pests 

 wei'e perseveringlv dealt with. The result has been that the trees have 

 made a most astonishing growth, many of the spring-set being now from 

 1 6 to 1 8 inches in diameter, with very heavy tops, and the largest trees 

 now look to be perfectly healthy. The bark is almost as smooth and 

 fresh as on a young tree, and the active growth of the tree seems uninter- 

 rupted. The location of this orchard is on a slope declining to the south. 

 Ever)' part of it is naturally well drained. It is protected by woods on 

 the west, southwest, and south. The varieties were, origmally. Pound 

 Pippins, 5 ; Yellow Bellflowers, 5 ; Summer Qiieens, 5 ; a few nameless 

 ones, and the rest (the largest number of the orchard), the Vandevere. 

 A very few of these trees were grafted on the stock at the ground. The 

 balance were budded from one to four feet high. The present proprie- 

 tor, Mr. J. R. Finch, tells me he can see no difference between the 

 budded and grafted ones in respect to hardiness or other qualities. 



Now as to results : This orchard that appears so vigorous and healthy, 

 is almost worthless. Last year it had at least one thousand bushels of 

 apples on, and the proprietor did not get a bushel of winter apples. The 

 bitter-rot blasts them like the breath of ruin, and the promise of spring 

 ends in disappointment and decay. Many experiments have been tried 

 to arrest this evil, but so far none of them have proved efficacious. Trees 

 have been trimmed and thinned; holes have been bored into their trunks, 

 and sulphate of copper, iron filings, salt, sulphur, etc., have been plugged 

 up in the wood. Squire Finch tells me that this orchard was in its prime 

 from the time it was 8 until 18 or 19 years old. For ten or eleven years 

 it gave the most bounteous returns, and produced wagon loads of the 

 finest fruit. It then began to decline. The fruit commenced to speck 

 and the evil increased until the trees are little more than an encumbrance 

 on the ground. The hogs have been kept in this orchard for a long time. 

 Pens have been made under some of the trees and the hogs fed there to 

 try the effect. It has done no good in preventing the rot. The Vande- 

 veres all have the "bitter-rot;" also, the Bellflowers; but the Pippin and 

 Summer Queen have not, he thinks, been attacked with bitter-rot; but 

 they have a sweet or suinmer-rot. 



In contrast to this I wish to give a short account of an orchard in the 

 same vicinity set about the same time, but which received very different 

 treatment. Nearly as soon as set it was seeded down to timothy and 

 kept in sod for ten years. The consequence was that it was so stunted 

 that it scarcely grew at all. The trees just made out to live. After this 

 the ground was broken up and thoroughly cultivated. The trees began to 

 grow and are at this time thrifty and fruitful, and so far the fruit does not rot. 

 I do not cite this case to recommend this treatment, for doubtles after 

 these trees have arrived at a certain stage of growth^ their fruit will also 

 rot. 



The experience with the apple, in this county, may be summed up as 

 follows: The trees are in their prime from eight to twenty years after 

 setting. After twenty years they begin to decline. If the trees keep 



