STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 301 



Bellangec introduced some of the best varieties now cultivated, as well as many that 

 are rejected. He soon removed to Dover, where he continued the nursery business for 



15 or '-' 1 3 • ire. 



From 1841 to 1844 nurseries were commenced in Bureau County by James Bosley, 

 Charles Boyd and Curtis Williams. Their stock was obtained from Mr. Curtis, a nursery- 

 man in I I ounty. A few good varieties were brought here by them, and many 

 that were worthless. The Milam, under the name of Winter lYarmain, constituted a 

 large proportion of their stock — a variety which it was said Mr. Curtis propagated to a 

 c insiderable extent by means of suckers. Their mode of obtaining stocks for grafting, 

 was to cut from trees taken up for .-ale such roots as were of suitable size —a practice 

 copied from Mr. Curtis. Neither of them continued the business more than four or five 

 re. 

 In 1846 Samuel Edwards commenced a nursery near Lamoille, where he is at present 

 located : and brought from near Cincinnati a considerable quantity of nursery stock. A 

 great part of it was, however, destroyed during the following winter, which was very 

 fatal to young fruit trees of almost every kind. In 1847, Arthur Bryant began a nursery 

 D a small scale near Princeton. Since tie n Yerry Aldrich, IT. N. Bliss and John G. 

 Bubach have established nurseries in the county. The two former have discontinued the 

 bush 



The winter of 1855-6 was noted for the wholesale destruction of fruit trees. It was 



estimated that one-half of the bearing apple trees in Bureau County were destroyed or 



rendered nearly worthless. Most of the pear, plum, peach, quince and cherry trees 



' irellos excepted) likewise perished. This, for some years, greatly discouraged the 



planting of fruit tree-. 



There are in Bureau County no orchards of considerable size which have been planted 

 more than ten or fifteen years. The largest are those of Verry Aldrich, Arthur Bryant, 

 Mr-. P. Mo-, ley, .]. [■,. Calefand Mustin Greenman. The only pear orchard worthy of 

 notice, is that of John II. Bryant, planted thirteen years since. A great part of this has 

 been destroyed the pasl season by fire Might. 



( If early apples those principally cultivated are the Early Harvest, Red Astrachan and 

 Early Pennock— the latter has hitherto been planted more than any other. Trees of 

 this variety, however, appear to become unproductive from age Booner than most others. 

 Maiden's Blush i> highly esteemed. 



The Snow apple takes precedence of all other fall apples as a hardy, profitable and 

 enduring variety. The Rambo is popular and productive, although less hardy. Has- 

 kell Bwei t and Rumsdell's Sweet are two of the best fall sweet apples. 



The varieties of winter apples be I established in the favor of cultivation, are the 

 Jonathan, Willow Twig and Domine. The Ben Davis has not been cultivated long 

 enough to te t it- endurance, but already shows Bigns of deterioration on some of the 

 older trees. Rawles' Janet, so much esteemed in the South, is here considered neither 

 excellent nor profitable. It Is feared that the Wlnesap, on rich prairie -oil, will disap- 

 point tie tations of cultivators. Sweet Vandevere and Broadwell are two of the 

 best winter sweet ap] 



ARTHUR BRYANT. 



