STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 32 1 



his interest to L. S. Pennington. This interest was never a joint one. The only knowl- 

 edge to conduct a business of this kind, at that early time, was gained from books. 



I have watched with some care and no little interest, in various parts of the state 

 whether the rharacter of the soil and underlying rocks have exerted any marked effect 

 in the growth of our trees, or in the quality of the fruit. In this county (Whitesides) 

 our soil mostly rests on the Niagara group, or on the Cincinnati shale. 



M. ROCK. 



WILL COUNTY. 



The first orchard planted within the present bounds of Will county, was planted by 

 Joseph Shoemaker, in the spring of 1835. The trees, 100 in number were purchased by 

 him, of James and Wallace Sigerson, who had a small nursery four miles south-west 

 from Crawfordsville, Montgomery Co. Ind., and were hauled in a wagon, a distance of 

 160 miles, and planted eight miles south-west of Joliet, at what is now called Reed's 

 Grove ; were planted on the south side of the grove adjoining the timber ; composed of 

 Black and White Walnut, different kinds of Oak, Hickory, Elm, Red and White, Hard 

 Maple, etc.; on a piece of ground descending to the north, a small ravine running east, 

 and west, making a complete surface drain. Soil, black loam, clayey subsoil. 



Mr. Shoemaker's list of varieties (made by James Sigerson), are as follows : 



Vandevere Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, Esopus Spitzenburgh, Rawle's Janet, 

 Small Roraanite, Large Romanite, Green Newtown Pippin, Yellow Newtown Pippin, 

 White Bellellowcr, W. W. Pearmain, Red Pearmain, Winesap, French Pippin, M. Blush, 

 Rambo, Mammoth Pippin, Fall Queen, Early Harvest, Early Bough, C. R. June. Num- 

 ber of each — 10 Janets, 3 French Pippin, 2 Mammoth, 5 each of remaining varieties. 



About one half of the original number are still living and thrifty, bearing good crops. 

 For the past twenty years (except the two past seasons) the varieties which have all 

 died, are French Pippin, Mammoth Pippin, Fall Queen and Early Bough ; about equal 

 number of the remaining varieties have died. No one variety that are all now living. 

 Green and Yellow Newtown Pippin never having borne but little, the tree appears 

 healthy. W. W. Pearmain, scabs badly ; Spitzenberg, Rhode Island Greening, very 

 vigorous, particularly the latter. Win. Shoemaker says that the Vandevere Pippin, 

 Rhode Island Greening and Spitzenberg are the three best varieties in orchard, and have 

 produced him more apples than any six of the others. Contrary to the experience of 

 most of the fruit growers and horticulturists of the north — at least the 0th District — 

 I measured several trees in this old orchard that are 20 to 22 inches in diameter (two 

 feet from the ground); the Vandevere Pippin and Rhode Island Greening lining the 

 largest. 



As there is some difference of opinion among horticulturists, in regard to the different 

 modes practiced in propagating, I will give the modus operandi a- practiced in those 

 days of the Siirorsons: The seed was sown in Spring ami cultivated one season, taken 

 up the following spring and planted out in nursery rows four feet apart ami twelve 

 inches in row ; cultivated one season, ami the next spring cut off at the erou a and cleft 

 grafted ; those that did not gTOW, generally threw up a thrifty sprout which was hudded 

 the following August. Some Were allowed to grow for a year or so, ami budded in the 

 top. Some of the trees in Mr. Shoemaker's orchard are budded about live or six feet 

 from the ground where the top is formed. 



9.9 



