164 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



taxed. Three rows of trees that had been left uncultivated the last year, were shown 

 us in one corner of the orchard. They were nearly dead from the neglect. Hogs are 

 kept in the orchard at the rate of about one hog to the acre and kept on short com- 

 mons, so as to make them industrious in picking up the fallen fruit as soon as it drops. 



The varieties cultivated are Serrate Early York, Large Early York, Crawford's Early, 

 Oldmixon Free, Crawford's Late, Morris' White, Smock and Heath. For a new planta- 

 tion, the following are recommended : Hale's Early, a few, Troth's Early, Large Early 

 York, Crawford's Early, Oldmixon Free, Crawford's Late, and Smock. The earliest 

 ripening of the Hale's Early, here, is July 13th, and the Smock ripens from the 20th to 

 the 25th of September. 



From the 6000 to 7000 peach trees planted, the nett sales in 1866 were $22,600, and in 



1867, $8,000, and in 1868, $ . For some reason, we found the crop of the present 



year quite exempt from the attacks of the Curculio. This is attributed by some to 

 the keeping of hogs to pick up the fallen fruit ; by some, to clean cultivation ; and by 

 some, to the impervious character of the subsoil, making it a bad lodging place for the 

 larva of the Curculio. 



We found at DuQuoin, that much dreaded disease, the " yellows." It had invaded 

 the orchard of Winter Brothers, but had been fought with promptness and energy as 

 soon as known, and was now nearly exterminated. But near old DuQuoin, we were 

 shown an orchard in the last stages of the disease, which was immediately recognized 

 by Dr. Hull as the old foe of the Eastern states. 



The first symptom of the disease, according to the Messrs. Winter, is the premature 

 ripening of the fruit. The Oldmixon sometimes ripens a month before its time. All 

 peaches so affected, although of different varieties, look much alike. Bright red spots 

 appear upon the surface, and a reddish discoloration runs from them clean through the 

 flesh to the stone. The next symptom is in the growth of the leaves at the ends of 

 the limbs. These appear blotched, white and curled. The disease appears to work 

 downwards into the lower and longer branches of the tree. First a limb dies, and 

 finally the tree. It takes about two years to finish the work. As Dr. Hull will report 

 more fully and intelligently on this subject, I confine myself to this outline of the dis- 

 ease, which should be met and fought persistently. 



At Makanda, we found a pretty general failure of the peach crop. Geo. H. Knowles 

 probably had the best, his crop being large and tolerably exempt from the ravages 

 of Curculio and rot. The special causes of this exemption I did not learn with cer- 

 tainty ; some attributed it to isolation, failure of crop the previous year, and the 

 amount of clearing and burning going on during the winter. 



In the orchard of T. O. Springer & Bros., I saw the Turkey Hill, a yellow peach 

 ripening with Troth's Early. It is very good in quality and is looked upon by Mr. 

 Springer as hardy and promising. 



At Cobden, the failure of the peach crop was not quite so great. West of the Rail- 

 road, we visited the orchards of E. Leming and James Fowley, both of whom had good 

 crops. The Messrs. Lawver and others, I believe, had also fair crops. 



Mr. Leming said he caught the curculio on Hale's Early and the Little Anne (?) varie- 

 ties, commencing just after the fruit set. Last year he picked up all the fallen fruit. 

 The Hale's Early rotted wherever marked by the curculio. Galbraith's Seedling, for 

 some unknown reason, rotted the worst. A part of the orchard which had been in clover 



