PROCEEDINGS OF THE N. A. POMOLOGICAL CONVENTION, &o. 



477 



Union know anything about — render the 

 culture of many fruits difficult. Notwith- 

 standing this, there is great encouragement 

 to plant orchards ; and there are now 50 or 

 60 nurseries, of considerable size, in a state 

 where 15 years ago there was scarcely such 

 a thing as an orchard from one end to the 

 other. The truth is, though northern Illi- 

 nois is cold in winter, the thermometer fall- 

 ing sometimes as low as 20° below zero, 

 yet the summers are so fine and the soil so 

 fertile that, as the common phrase goes, 

 " orchards are bound to grow there." We 

 are glad to learn from Dr. K.'s report, that 

 seedling peaches have borne, uninjured by 

 the severity of winters which killed many 

 of the imported sorts. Here is a hint that 

 should not be overlookod in the northern 

 belt of the Union, where " the peach crop 

 cannot be depended on more than two sea- 

 sons out of five." 



The curculio, and the knots, are quite 

 as troublesome in Illinois as at the east, 

 and the pear blight far more so. 



On the whole, we should judge that there 

 are many difficulties attending the culture 

 of choice fruits at the west, that will disap- 

 pear when the country shall have been 

 longer cultivated, and the over fertility of 

 the soil, — which causes sponginess in the 

 young wood, and plethora in the vegetable 

 system, — is corrected. 



In a very excellent report, made by Mr. 

 Phcenix, of Wisconsin, he enumerates the 

 peculiar difficulties experienced at the west, 

 in fruit culture, and observes that the two 

 great desiderata there, are, 



" 1st. So to modify and cultivate the soil, that 

 the growth of trees shall be moderate and per- 

 fectly matured. 



" 2d. To protect and shelter tender trees, as 

 far as possible, from injury in our winters." 



" These objects will be best attained, as I con- 

 ceive, by the following means: Selection of the 

 hardiest sorts; elevated situations for fruit trees, 

 and a soil not too rich; cultivation early in the 



season only; and protection by buildings, fences, 

 hedges, &c, from our piercingly severe, drying, 

 winter winds. I am inclined to think that some 

 applications maybe made to the soil, to induce an 

 earlv mature growth." 



These are good suggestions. They bear 

 directly on the fact, that the climate of this 

 north belt of the Union is severe in winter, 

 and therefore varieties must be sought for, 

 or originated, which are to bear that cli- 

 mate ; and that there is a superabundance 

 of vegetable matter in the soil. Touching 

 this last point, we will make one sugges- 

 tion. 



If we were planting fruit trees in the 

 west, upon new and fertile soil, we would 

 always plant them on hills or ridges, raised 

 one foot at least above the surrounding 

 level. This would keep the collar of roots 

 always a little " high and dry," and would 

 force the tree to make short growth, and 

 mature its wood early, hence exemption 

 from the diseases that arise from excess of 

 respiratory food. 



Next, we would contrive to reduce the 

 quantity of vegetable matter in the soil, and 

 increase the lime and potash, in order to 

 give greater firmness and consistency to 

 the solid parts of the tree. This might be 

 done in some cases by bicrning a portion of 

 the soil, and in others by applying lime and 

 ashes directly, as a top dressing. 



The borders of the great lakes enjoy a 

 comparatively mild climate, where the peach 

 succeeds admirably, — much finer rareripes 

 being produced on the southern shores of 

 Lakes Ontario and Erie, than in New-Jer- 

 sey. 



From the report of Mr. Elliott, of Cleve- 

 land, (which we would gladly notice in de- 

 tail if our limits would allow,) we gather 

 that the cherry, known as the " Swedish," 

 in Ohio, is synonymous with the Early 

 White Heart, and the "German May 

 Duke," of the same district, is identical 



