29 S TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



that inlS27 he had both peach and apple trees in bearing. This apple orchard is still in 

 vigorous condition, both as to thrii'tiness and yield. Some of the trees were lately meas- 

 ured by D. C. Wood, Esq., the largest showing a circumference of 9 feet 10 inches, and 

 several over 7 feet. In 1830 the Governor also started from the seed some twenty to 

 thirty chestnut trees, which lately marked by the tape from 7 to 10 feet in circumference. 



The well-known orchard on the Tillscn quarter, at the corner of Twelfth and Chestnut 

 Streets, in this city, was soon after planted from Gov. Wood's nursery by Major Rose ; 

 and the example further followed by Mr. Willard Keyes, Silas Beebe, James Dunn and 

 others, of the pioneer settlers. These were all seedling trees. 



The first orchard of grafted trees in the county was set out by George Johnson, at Co- 

 lumbus, in the year 1S32 — his trees having been brought from Kentucky, and the orch- 

 ard is still in excellent condition. Several others followed their example in the course 

 of the next succeeding few years, prominent among whom may be mentioned Deacon A. 

 Scarborough, of Payson, who set out in the spring of 1836, 200 grafted apple trees, one 

 year old, grown in Ohio, but purchased in St. Louis at a cost of $25 per hundred. This 

 orchard was the scene of one of the Society's practice meetings in the course of the past 

 summer, and its truly magnificent condition excited universal admiration and comment. 

 The same gentleman in 1839 set about 200 peach trees, some of which are reported to 

 have borne full crops in the season just past. He also had the honor of introducing the 

 Concord grape into the county, in the spring of 1855, his vines having been obtained 

 direct from Mr. Bull, of Concord, Mass., and have proved the great adaptability to our 

 soil and climate by a frequent yield of 100 lbs. to the vine in a season. 



The late William Stewart, of Payson, also deserves most honorable mention as an early 

 and successful introducer and cultivator of select fruit. 



We conclude this category of early cultivators with the honored name of Mr. Clark 

 Chatten, an orchardist of the first ability, who has made an unquestionably brilliant 

 record as the most extensive and successful fruit cultivator in Western Illinois, who still 

 enjoys the fruits of his sagacity, industry and skill, and who with undiminished vigor is 

 still engaged in planting out new orchards, and actively superintending the interests of 

 his extensive fruit possessions. 



He commenced planting out grafted apple trees in Fall Creek township in 1837, pur- 

 chasing his trees of Charles Stratton, of Pike Co., 111.; continuing the work in 1S38 and 

 1839 ; his orchard in the spring of the latter year covering forty acres of ground, and 

 exciting the ridicule of some, and the predictions of many well-meaning friends, that 

 he would ruin himself by his extravagant planting ; as who, they argued, could possibly 

 be found to buy all the apples when his orchard should come into full bearing ? Firm, 

 however, in his convictions of the great fruit era that was coming, Mr. Chatten made 

 a second planting of 30 additional acres in 1842, 15 acres in 1854, 15 acres in 1858, 30 

 acres in 1SG3, 40 acres in 1867, all on his estate in Fall Creek, and in 1867 and 1863, hav- 

 ing purchased and removed to a new homestead in Ellington township, near Quincy, he 

 crowned his thirty years of service in the great apple interest, by a new plantation of 

 70 acres, making a grand aggregate of 240 acres devoted to this important and leading 

 staple fruit. 



In the spring of 1840, Mr. Chatten made his first planting of peach trees, setting out 

 12 acres, none of which are surviving. Ten years later he commenced setting out bud- 

 ded trees, devoting 12 acres to the purpose. His trees were purchased at the nursery 

 of William Stewart; thrived well from the start, and are still in vigorous condition. 



