STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 15 



Last year I was troubled with the currant worm, but they are now nearly extinct — the result 

 of dose pruning anil coal ashes. Our Horticulturists are mostly poor men — amateurs in the 

 work; and as pioneers lure, we have much more to learn than to impart to others. On the 

 Whole, our fruit crop this year has been poor, but we are not discouraged, and shall go on heedless 

 of the cry, 'you'll run fruit into the ground.' We hope to lessen the amount of drugs, hogs 

 and Dr.'s bills, and do Dot expect to be frightened about having too much fruit, until somebody 

 gets enough. The masses of people do not yet appreciate the importance of timber belts and 

 screens, either in a sanitary or pecuniary point of view. The past season has also demonstrated 

 the Importance of shading the bark and roots of trees and vines, as well as that of deep culture 

 in preparing for fruits." 



From Douglas county, I can report but little progress, yet there is an increasing interest in 

 tree-planting, and fruit-growing in general. Many of our farmers are now planting with the 

 design of supplying others with the products of their orchards, and some of our people are turn- 

 ing their attention to fruit-growing as a business for profit. Ther; are a tew market orchards 

 planted, a few small vineyards, and some twelve acres of strawberries, six of which were fruited 

 the past season. On the whole, our fruit crop, may be set down as a failure ; while we had a little 

 of all, none yielded much over a half crop, and many fruits failed almost entirely. 



Of insects we had enough to supply the State, and among the most destructive I would call 

 attention to the borer that infests the Silver Maple. If they continue to multiply as rapidly a 

 few years longer, we fear the Silver Maple which has so long stood at the head of the list, will have 

 to be numbered with the black locust. 



From Cumberland, Ford, Vermillion and Champaign counties, I have nothing to report, 

 except that I have some knowledge of a fine fruit farm in Champaign county, owned by my friend 

 M. L. I ronlap, otherwise known as '"Rural," to whom I applied for progress and facts for this 

 report. But like his district report for last year, and the fruit crop for this, it failed to come forth 

 I have been careful, in this report to mention all who have contributed to it, as I think every 

 one who takes sufficient interest to report the "condition and progress of Horticulture " in hia 

 own county, should be known to this society. 



Respectfully, E. DAGGY. 



Mr. Galusha, from the Committee Ad Interim, submitted the fol- 

 lowing : 



As one of tho members of your " Ad Interim Committee," charged with the duty of visiting 

 different portions of the State to note and report upon matters of interest and information in 

 Horticulture: I beg leave to report that I have partially performed the work laid out for me, and 

 have taken notes of observations made, and of information gained by cultivators in many localities 

 In our own State, and In St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. But as your Secretary has 

 accompanied the Committee in most of its travels, and has doubtless taken notes embodying such 

 Statistical and local information as will be of value to you, and which he will probably rci>ort 

 in detail, I shall confine myself at present, to such observations and opinions of my own as I think 

 may not be contained in the general report. 



The last winter set in early, freezing up the soil, while it, and especially tho subsoil generally 

 throughout the Northern portion of tho State, was quite dry; and tho continuance of cold weather 

 with. ut the usual " January thaw," proved damaging to newly planted trees, and especially to 

 grape vines. Those vines which were planted the previous spring, even when buried with earth 

 at the approach of winter, in the usual manner, were nearly all seriously injured — many being 

 killed outright, while those which survived, and especially such as had not made a good growth 

 were so nearly starved by drouth and cold that they have made but a feeble growth. This effect 

 was not conlined to any particular kind of soil, but was observed on the clay bluffs at Rock Island 



