16 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



the Loess deposits of Lacon, and the more sandy soils along the rivers. At Moline, in the vine- 

 yard (if Win. A . Nourse, the vines upon the hillside suffered more than those upon the level sum- 

 mit, owing, doubtless, to the greater dryness of the soil when the winter set in. 



Young apple and other trees (of one season's growth), were similarly affected in several nur- 

 series ami upon different kinds of soil. This experience added to that of 55 and 56, proves that 

 more depends upon the condition of the plants, and the state of the soil as to moisture at the time 

 the ground is closed by frost, than upon the degree of cold during the winter. 



The greatest losses of trees and plants by winter-killing that have come to my knowledge, have 

 occurred when they entered the winter in a dry soil, and when the ground has remained frozen 

 for a long time so that they had no means of absorbing sap to replenish their exhausted cells. The 

 wood of those plants which survive these injuries, remains more or less discolored, and many are 

 black at the heart. The same appearance may be observed in apple and other seedlings, when 

 taken up in the autumn before the foliage is killed by the frost, and left for a short time with the 

 leaves on. The foliage exhausting the sap, renders the wood dry, when discoloration and decay 

 immediately commences. 



These disasters to grape vines, etc., when threatened, may doubtless be prevented by saturat- 

 ing the soil about the roots with water at the approach of winter, and mulching to prevent e <*apor- 

 ation. The failure of many species of fruit trees, shrubs and vines, to bear a full crop the past 

 season, is perhaps attributable to the same cause. It was noticeable that those strawberry vines 

 only bore a full crop, which were thoroughly mulched; as on the grounds of Mr. Sims of Aurora, 

 and elsewhere. This prevented the early and severe freezing of the ground, and allowed the 

 early winter rains to penetrate to the roots of the plants* 



The blight has been more generally prevalent in apple orchards throughout the State this 

 year than I have ever before seen it; yet in its mild type, the disease affecting only the shoots of 

 the current year's growth. I do not know that any variety was entirely exempt from it. The 

 Golden Russet (" English ") was perhaps the most affected; and yet this variety was more uni- 

 formly productive of fruit this year than any other which came within my observation. 



In some varieties, (of which the Holland Pippin was most affected), the blight was confined to 

 the spurs, destroying both foliage and wood, giving the tree an unsightly appearance. This form 

 of blight is common with this variety, but is not a very serious evil, as it does not seem to impair 

 the vigor of the trees. 



As there has been much discussion during the past few years, in regard to the most valuable 

 stock for the cherry, I have made the modes of growing cherries with their success or failure an 

 especial object of observation, and, as a result, find that the early Richmond trees, worked upon 

 the Mahaleb stock, and over four years in orchard, were bearing as large crops as trees can uniformly 

 sustain and maintain continual vigor. The almost universal law of the growth and bearing of 

 fruit trees, viz., that the more rapid the growth of young trees, the less fruit they will bear is true 

 in the growth and product of these cherries. 



The Mahaleb stock produces a fine growth of wood in the variety that is worked upon it, dur- 

 ing the first four or five years, and consequently these trees do not produce much fruit during this 

 time. The claim to advantages of grafting the cherry upon the Morello stock, ( Morello stocks 

 are meant when these stocks are spoken of ) seems to be based upon the fact that when so worked, 

 the trees are stunted (checked) in growth, and consequently commence bearing at once, produc- 

 ing perhaps a few cherries the second year after planting, a few more the next, etc., until by the 

 fourth or fifth year, they will perhaps bear with good cultivation four quarts each. By this time 

 these trees will have covered almost the entire orchard with a rank growth of suckers, unless they 



* Since this was written I have been informed of our Apple orchard in Kendall county, which 

 was mulched during the autumn of 18(S7, by covering the entire surface with a good coating of straw, 

 and which bore a full crop of apples this year, while all other orchards in the vicinity were nearly 

 barren of fruit. 



