ADVANCEMENT OF FRUITS, ETC. 15 



there cultivated both trees and fruits, from whence most of the older 

 orchards of southern Ohio, and probably Indiana, were procured. 

 Governor Worthington, at an early day, 1803, or previous, intro- 

 duced many fine varieties of fruits into central Ohio. In 1824, 

 Prof. Kirtland imported, from New Jersey to Trumbull County, 

 Ohio, some two hundred sorts of the best fruits then known ; and 

 in 1827, or '28, George Hoadley, Esq., sent about one hundred kinds 

 to Cleveland. Alfred Kelly also introduced many fine Eastern 

 varieties ; and, as before mentioned, grafts from all these were libe- 

 rally distributed, followed by additional introductions of new varie- 

 ties in succeeding years. Add to these, that nearly every pioneer 

 brought with him seeds of the best fruits known in the vicinity of his 

 former residence East, which he planted and grew with care, and we 

 have the heads of the principal introduction of varieties up to about 

 1832. Since that period, not only have importations of extended 

 varieties been largely made from Eastern nurseries, but the nurseries 

 of trees grown for sale have so multipled in the whole West, that 

 millions of trees are now annually grown and planted. 



For the history that follows, relating to Illinois and Wisconsin, we 

 are indebted to the zeal, enthusiasm, and courtesy of Doctor J. A. 

 Kenriicott : 



"The first permanent settlements in Illinois were made by the 

 French about 1682, in and about Kaskaskio and Cahokia; and it is 

 said, that ' the first generation of fruit trees, there planted, had done 

 good service, and gone the way of all the living,' long before the 

 advent of the present race who people ' Lower Egypt.' The Rev. 

 John M. Peck (whom I quote from memory) affirms, that he ate 

 most luscious fruits, some twenty or thirty years ago, the product of 

 the second generation of these old French trees, even then of almost 

 forest size. 



" From many sources I gather the fact, that among these old trees 

 were, and still are, perhaps, individuals producing very desirable 

 fruit ; all, doubtless, of mature growth, though some may have been 

 brought from Canada, whence the seeds very evidently came, in their 

 route from the old world. 



" From this you perceive that Illinois is one of the oldest fruit- 

 growing states ; and it is very certain, that our seedling trees gener- 

 ally yield better fruit than the mass of chance varieties in the East ; 

 though, good sooth, I have been unable to trace any of our celebrated 

 varieties in cultivation, to these glorious old trees, so graphically 

 described by the Rev. Mr. Peck ; and yet, I am by no means certain, 

 that some of our most valuable local varieties did not originate in 

 that classic fruit-land of Southern Illionois. 



" It is very probable, also, that, in Central and Northern Illinois 

 there may now be native varieties, surpassing in value, for local cul- 

 tivation, at least, a large majority of the sorts named in the bocks. 



