322 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The next year after Mr. S. set his orchard (1836) the Messrs. Rowley ? Capt. Scipon, 

 Phillip and Seth Scott, set out small orchards two or three miles east of Joliet, mostly 

 seedlings, but afterwards grafted in top with better varieties. In spring of '37, Messrs. 

 Fruga, Miller, Gouger and Kelly, procured trees from near Danville, 111., and set out 

 small orchards ; the varieties are about the same as Shoemaker's, and the results about 

 the same. 



In 1835, when Mr. Shoemaker was bringing his trees home from the Wabash, he stayed 

 all night with Mr. John Fragin (deceased this fall) who lived six miles south-east from 

 Wilmington, who cut off of Mr. S.'s trees some cions and grafted them into the wild 

 crab, a grove of which stood near Mr. F.'s house, a large number of which are still liv- 

 ing. Some of the trees, (Esopus Spitzenberg, Winesap, and our Yellow N. T. Pippin), 

 look healthy, and bids fair to remain so for some time to come. A part of those grafted 

 on the crab, out-grew the stock and the trees blew up by the roots. Others that are 

 good yet, were put upon a different variety of the crab. Would remark here that in the 

 valley of the Kankakee, there are two varieties of the wild crab ; one is very scrubby, 

 and slow growth, while the other is very thrifty, and very hard to distinguish from the 

 common apples, and bears a large, fine fruit, while the other bears a very small, gnarley 

 fruit. 1 would like to have the editors of the Prairie Farmer come to see those old 

 apple trees growing on the wild crab. Some time ago they answered an enquiry from 

 an Iowa or Wisconsin correspondent — "Would the apple grow on wild crab ? " their 

 answer was " No." I am of the opinion that many of our tender varieties would do 

 well grafted (say, two foot from ground) on the wild crab ; an experiment I intend try- 

 ing. 



I have not been able to answer the last part of your enquiry, viz. : — the early history 

 of the Nurseries in our county ; shall try to do so as soon as I can obtain the necessary 

 information. 



Wilmington, Dec. 15, 1868. W. T. NELSON. 



LETTER FROM IOWA. 



Dear Sir: — I have been much interested in reading the report of your discussions 

 on fruits, at the late meeting of the State Horticultural Society. Permit me to remark 

 on the fruits reported on, as follows : 



Yellow Belleflower. — Quite worthless here, except on poor, flat, White Oak land, 

 where I have seen it bear heavy crops the seventh year, and continue to bear ; on 

 poor, dry, White Oak hillsides it is as worthless as on prairie. When the gopher root 

 prunes severely, it holds its fruit well, even on prairie, for you know it always blooms 

 profusely. Permit me to suggest severe root pruning to obtain fair crops of this fine 

 apple. I have not practiced this root pruning myself; will the coming spring. 



Again as to grafting old trees — I have always failed in making a good tree, when I 

 did not root prune thoroughly at the time of grafting — would not go more than eight 

 feet from an old tree and go down with the spade two and a half feet. Then you may 



