158 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



APPLES ABOUT ALTON. 



In the region about Alton, the failure in the apple crop was more general, I believe, 

 than it has been since the year 1834, when a late frost destroyed the apples after they 

 had attained the size of hickory nuts. A few orchards had tolerable crops, which, 

 owing to the general scarcity, were quite remunerative to their owners. The Sops-of- 

 Wine shipped in peach boxes was found very profitable by Mr. Hilliard at Brighton. 

 Mr. Lyon at Bethalto had a similar experience with the Porter. With him the Chenan- 

 go Strawberry (of Thomas) proves a very profitable, beautiful and excellent apple, and 

 the experience of two others in the same locality goes to confirm his views. Mr. Lyon 

 has old trees of the Nickajack, one of the candidates for public favor further south. 

 The tree is vigorous and tolerably productive. Ther fruit is fair, and much like the 

 Pryor Red in external appearance, but only about third rate in quality. 



AT PANA 



in the orchard of Mr. Chase, I found a similar failure of the apple crop among peach 

 trees well laden with fruit. 



AT CENTRALIA 



the apple crop was also a failure, only one or two of the orchards visited having even 

 a moderate crop of fruit. 



AT ROCKWOOD, CHESTER, &c. 



Along the Mississippi, as we came by boat from Grand Tower to St. Louis, about the 

 24th of July, we saw considerable shipments of the " Horse Apple," intimating some 

 local exemption from the prevailing destruction, either in the variety or the location. 

 This region from the mouth of the Kaskaskia to the Grand Tower has, apparently, many 

 good points for fruit growing, especially in the region of Rockwood and Chester. The 

 high bluffs, the suitable soil, the mild climate and the river influence are all favorable ; 

 and the Mt. Carbon Railway gives connections with the Illinois Central, and the Grand 

 Tower and other packets with St. Louis. 



APPLES AT VILLA RIDGE. 



At Villa Ridge, we visited the orchard of Dr. Jas. H. Crain, which was of special inter- 

 est, not only from the propietor's experiments with Southern varieties, but from its 

 being the most southern point in the State visited by the Committee. The soil in this 

 region is very rich, and the forest growth is magnificent in size, and varied in kind. In 

 the door yard of our President, Judge Brown, we noticed the white oak, black oak, 

 beech, black walnut, butternut, sugar maple, black ash, sweet gum, black gum, linden, 

 dogwood, red bud, persimmon, papaw, crab apple, shell bark hickory, pig-nut hickory, 

 tulip tree, plum, cherry, white elm, sassafras, mulberry, and sycamore, besides the grape 

 and hazel. Judge Brown informed us that the Catalpa is growing in the river bottoms 

 of this region to the height of 100 feet, with a trunk two feet in diameter. Limbs that 

 break off lie covered with moss without rotting, and posts made of its wood, of 25 or 30 



