WINTER MEETING, 1879. 47 



field. As the law-makers were not in session, one of tlie legislative halls was 

 used for business meetings, while the exhibition of fruit and plants was on the 

 main floor in a beaatifal and commodious room, devoted to the interests of 

 agriculture. This was adjoining and connected with the well furnished office 

 of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. The size, style, and 

 accessibility of these rooms and the adaptability shown in furnishing them was 

 decided evidence that the State officers are not disposed to ignore the impor- 

 tance of their leading industry. Their juxtaposition with the State Treasury 

 rooms (on opposite sides of main hall), seems to be significant of their relation 

 to the wealth of the State, representing it in the abstract, and in the concrete. 

 The room for exhibition, styled ''Agricultural Museum," is seventy feet long 

 by forty-four wide, lighted by four large main windows, besides hall lights and 

 head lights over hall doors. For evening it is provided with four large twelve- 

 burner chandeliers, giving forty-eight jets, and it is warmed by four steam 

 heaters, distributed to give an even temperature. Across one entire end of 

 this room — or forty-four feet in length, was a set of glass front shelving ex- 

 tending up nine or ten feet from the floor. The lower part, up to ordinary 

 counter height, opens by hinges, and the upper part by sliding doors. There 

 were, also, six wide, double counters twelve feet long with show cases on the 

 top facing opposite ways. The under works of these counters was sash and 

 glass with doors opening by hinges. Three of these counters have their show 

 cases surmounted by six feet high glass front, double shelving, also facing 

 both wavs with slidinar doors. 



In addition there was on the wall which separated this room from the great 

 hall, a large glass front case arranged especially for entomological specimens, 

 and well filled with Illinois insects. There were, also, creditable private col- 

 lections put in by students of the Industrial University. Temporary tables 

 were in good supply for greenhouse plants and fruits. The Legislative hall, 

 in which the business sessions were held, was a miserable failure, as many pub- 

 lic rooms are. But it was highly ornate and said to all strangers "Illinois is 

 a great State." And we cheerfully admitted that it was. 



The attendance of practical gardeners, and fruit-growers was said to 

 be less than usual, and complaint was made that some of the railroads had 

 grown less liberal on rates of fare to these meetings. The Illinois Central, a 

 land grant road, I understand, has always granted all the courtesies, on 

 such occasions, that could be reasonably expected. The time was industriously 

 used ; there were three sessions a day of fully three hours each. The sessions 

 were usually opened by a paper or papers followed by short discussions ; and 

 the discussions were held well to the subject of the papers. Of these papers 

 the professors in the Industrial University contributed a liberal share. 



Prof. Burrill showed samples of many kinds of wood, one a species of cat- 

 alpa from an old log supposed to have been on the ground one hundred years, 

 for which he claimed great durability, sufficient hardiness, and rapid growth, 

 and that it might be grown on some lands very profitably. The subject of 

 timber excited considerable interest. Mr. Periam, of the Prairie Farmer, 

 claimed that tree production in that State was increasing, that little timber 

 land was being cleared, and that orchard trees, ornamental trees, and green 

 fences more than compensated the destruction of forest as far as eSect on cli- 

 mate is concerned, and this statement seemed to be acquiesced in. The Presi- 

 dent stated that the open, wild prairie land now sells higher per acre than 

 land covered with timber ; yet the necessity of growing trees for building and 



