306 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 



Sir: — Having been a resident of this county for more than fifty years, I have some 

 knowledge of its first settlements and the first orchards ; the first apple trees were from 

 seeds brought from Wilson Co., Tenuessee, in the Fall of 1820, by Thomas A. Wright, 

 and delivered to me and planted three miles west of Mt. Vernon on low, rich land. 

 Near the same time, Jas. Johnson, Lewis Johnson and Win. Maxey, procured a few cions 

 from Tennessee, and from these other sprouts were taken and set on several farms in 

 the neighborhood ; some of the fruit was of superior quality in appearance and flavor, 

 and some very indifferent. A great many of these trees are sturdy yet, and bearing 

 annual crops ; the seedlings live longest. A few years after, a small nursery was started 

 three miles south, and other varieties procured, but this was soon abandoned. About 

 1835, John S. Galbraith introduced top-grafting, which changed quite a number of the 

 old stocks ; he commenced a nursery about same time, which he increased from time to 

 time up to his death ; supplying his neighbors with the best selections of Apples. 

 Pears, Peaches, and Cherries ; and at this time our county is well supplied with all the 

 choice varieties for Summer, Fall, and Winter; Belleflowei don't bear well unless top- 

 grafted ; Baldwin falls badly. Native peaches on high ground are almost a sure erop 

 — budded not oftener than once in three years aDd often five ; some hardy kinds do 

 better. I drop these facts to you at the request of Mr. Galbraith. Anything else in 

 regard to the statistics of this county will be freely given. 



Yours Truly, F. R. SATTERFIELD. 



LAKE COUNTY. 



Mr. Douglas handed me, a few days ago your letter of request. I have but little 

 time or I would write you out a full, and lenghty answer to your questions. I have just 

 got out my catalogues and probably you can find something in it that will be of service 

 to you. I have tried to grow for over twenty years the dwarf Pear on the Quince, 

 Peaches, Apricots, and Quinces, but have failed and at last have given it up. I find but 

 few places in the county, that they can do anything with them, and those are sheltered 

 from the cold winds of our winters. The Standard pear will stand our climate and soil 

 well, and the only pear that is worth setting out in this county. See catalogue for 

 kinds, etc., that do well. The Transcendent crab does admirably well in this county. 

 The oldest orchards were planted about twenty years ago on black soil, between 

 Wheeling, Cook county, and Libertyville, this county, near the Des Plain river, and are 

 nearly all killed out. 



Apples — Most of the old New England fruits are not hardy enough for this climate ; 

 such as Sweet Bough, Rhode Island Greening, Baldwin, Swaar, Esopus Spitzenburgh, 

 Fall Pippin. But the following list I have found after twenty year's experience to be 

 the most hardy and productive grown in the West : Northern Spy, Snow Apple, 

 Rawle's Janet, Winter Wine, Jonathan, King Apple, Smokehouse Greening, Red Spit- 

 zenburgh, Striped Seek-no-further, Yellow Bellflower, Tollman's Winter Sweet, Beauty 

 of the West, Red Romanite, Milam, Smith's Cider, English Russet, Limbertwig, Van- 

 dervere, Ben Davis, Porter, Maiden Blush, Queen Ann or Lowell, Sweet Russet, Red 



