12 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



20-Ounce. Golden Reinette, Keswick Codlin, Snow, Alexander, Sops of Wine, Stannard, Wine Sap, 

 i iper, Benoni, Porter, Early Pennock, Irish Poach, Belmont, Perry Russctt, BamsdeH'a Sweet, 

 Holland Pippin, Summer Queen, Rambo, Autumn Swaar and Golden Sweet — 22 sorts. In 1S50 he 

 enlarged his orchard to 20 acres. This is without doubt the best paying orchard in our county at 

 this date. In 185!), Mr. Dunlap removed to Champaign County, where he has a nursery with 100 

 acres in orchard and small fruits. Out of the above varieties, he now cultivates Rawles Janet, 

 20 Ounce, Keswick Codlin, Sops of Wine, Stannard, Porter, Wine Sap, Cooper, Early Pennock, 

 Irish Peach, Swaar, Ramsdell's Sweet, Summer Queen, Rambo, Autumn Swaar, and Golden 

 Sweet, — 16 varieties. 



At Leyden the most profitable variety was Keswick Codlin. 



B. B. Drake and Ransom Clough, of " Elk Grove," planted orchards for market at about the 

 same time, but met with poor success. George Knowles had a small orchard at same point, that 

 bore well, grafted mainly to varieties from Jersey county. 



My fruit trees, isolated from neighboring orchards have heretofore been free from the attacks of 

 some insects, which this summer have visited them in great numbers. Of the thin, smooth skinned 

 apples, like the Dyer Ortly, and Early Harvest, scarce a specimen could be found that was not 

 marked by the Curculio. The few choice peaches maturing this year were all stung. Plums till 

 now unmolested, were this summer badly punctured. The nearest old orchard, containing these 

 trees, to mine in a direct line, is six miles ; these have n >t borne perfect fruit for years, the owner 

 not regarding them of sufficient value to take care of. Had this summer been one of an ordinary 

 temperature, in all probability my fruit would have perfected ; but during the days and nights of 

 such excessive heat as is herein noted, this little gentleman of the Crescent, takes wing, becomes 

 a roving vagabond, and not a plum or a peach in the neighborhood that he will not find; once in 

 an orchard, it is no boy's play to get him out. This is the first time they were ever known to 

 deposit their eggs in apples, or even in peaches, so far north ; but this year the mischief is gen- 

 eral in our orchards. The apple tree bark louse has ceased to exist with us; there are a few 

 old oyster-shell shaped wrappers on the growth of this year for an inch or two up its extension 

 from last year's, but this like those on the old wood, rubs off, like scurf when you roughly pass 

 your gloved hand over it. 



In my district there were few apples raised this year, and these much injured by the Codling 

 moth. The pernicious practice of placing heaps of manure close up to, and around the trunks of 

 newly planted apple trees, is often attended with fatal results; this is done with the view of pro- 

 tecting the crewn and roots from the changes and severities of the seasons, and adding vigor to 

 the growth of the trees; it undoubtedly to some extent, and under some circumstances, accom- 

 plishes these objects, but oftener injures, and sometimes kills the tree outright. It is far better to 

 mound with earth, and mulch the roots with old hay, straw, or some loose, decaying vegetable 

 sub.-tance. This summer I saw an orchard of 500 trees flagging badly, almost ceasing to grow. 

 On digging away the earth and putting my hand under the crown, I brought out four or five white 

 grubs, the larvaj of the May beetle, that was burrowing in, and eating the live wood here at this vital 

 part of the tree. Every tree was now thoroughly examined, and well nigh all found, at the crown 

 and in the base of the large roots, to be infected with this worm. So much was one tree injured, 

 that the top broke off in the owner's hand while his assistant was digging beneath it. These trees 

 had been manured as previously mentioned. The manure was now scraped away from the trunk 

 and spread around the outer circle of the limbs, fresh earth was put under the tree, and in a few 

 •weeks from that time, you could scarcely have told they were the same trees, so well had they 

 done. In light soils, the injury to fruit trees of all kinds from the common cut-worm eating the 

 bud. is si) great, that it exceeds that from a 1 other sources combined. Millions of dollars worth 

 of trees have been lost from this insect without a suspicion being entertained of the cause. It is 

 often equally destructive to Oaks and Hickories. In a single night when the leaf of the former is 

 in a velvety condition, 1 have known a tree ten feet high completely stripped. It is seldom they 

 continue feeding upon a tree after il is fully leaved out. They commence work sometimes as 



