318 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



of the trees from western Indiana. The earliest permanent settlers immigrated here 

 about the year 1823, and the elder Curtis, of Edgar Co., furnished trees to some as early 

 as 1825. Milam was a leading variety, and though the tree is a little tender, is still a 

 popular apple here. 



The winter of 1830-1, was severely cold, much snow on unfrozen ground. Turnips 

 left in the " patches," wintered in good order ; but fruit trees though well ripened by 

 a dry late fall, were mostly winter-killed. This discouraged farmers from planting 

 trees for a while ; but those who did plant soon had flourishing orchards, and the roots 

 of winter-killed trees threw up young shoots that became bearing trees and orchards ; 

 flourished until the winter of 1855-6, when another severely cold winter, with deep 

 snow on unfrozen ground, killed many fine trees, and all except the Crabs and their 

 60iir Russian relative,? — the Duchess of Oldenburgh — were more or less injured. 



The winter of 1848-9 did considerable injury to young nursery stock. Apricots 

 (except the Black) were killed outright, and Peach trees considerably injured. 



NURSERIES. 



John Canaday started a small nursery one mile south east of Georgetown, about the 

 year 1826. Apple and pear trees propagated by budding seedlings at standard height. 

 This nursery supplied many orchards with good, cultivated fruit until 1843, when Cana- 

 day died, and the stock was sold by the row at public sale ; purchasers appointing a 

 day to meet, dig and swap trees, thus obtaining variety. 



In 1854, James Rees and William Dallou started a nursery of apple trees near Ridge 

 Farm. In 1856 commenced adding a general assortment of large and small fruits, 

 evergreens and some other ornamentals. This nursery never exceeded four acres in 

 extent, but has done much towards introducing fine fruits ; also, evergreens and various 

 ornamental shrubs and plants into this part of our State. Grape vines of forty varie- 

 ties are under cultivation, not all in bearing yet. But the introduction of this luscious 

 fruit into general cultivation here is a slow business. 



In 1863, Aaron Plumley, of Ohio, started a nursery at Danville. Fruit trees, small 

 fruits, evergreens and other ornamentals. Plumley returned to Ohio in 1864, and W. 

 W. R. Woodbury became proprietor. Woodbury had other more important business 

 on hand, and the land becoming valuable as town property, the entire nursery proper 

 has been disposed of. A valuable greenhouse is still left up. 



No other nurseries worthy of note have been started in this county. 



CAUSE OF THE WINTER-KILLING OF TREES. 



The roots of the trees being in the warm, unfrozen ground under the snow, when the 

 body of the tree is not frozen, the sap rises ; then sudden, hard freezing bursts the tis- 

 sues of the wood, causing the injury or even the death, of the tree. The injury being 

 in proportion to the expansive force exerted, and that expansive force iu proportion to 

 the amount of water (sap) in the tree and the intensity of freezing. 



Sugijestion. — Trees are tender or hardy, in proportion to the porosity or firmness of 

 their wood. In other words, in proportion to the amount of water their pores will 

 hold. 



