No. 199.] 287 



crops, hov7ever, have been produced of the White Doyenne, the 

 Seckel, the Bartlett, and some varieties grown by the old French in- 

 habitants, — names not known. A new variety resembling the Seckel, 

 but of large size, has been produced in this vicinity, and is called 

 "Mitchell's Russet." All of which is respectfully submitted. 



THO. ALLEN, 

 LEWIS BISSELL, 

 E. MALLENCHRODT, 

 N. REIHL. 

 St. Louis, Oct. 12, 1849. 



IOWA. 



REPORT OF FRUIT COMMITTEE. 



Davenport, Sept. 13, 1849. 

 A. J. Downing, Esq., Chairman, fyc, JVewhurgh, JV. Y.: 



The committee for the State of Iowa, from their remote positions 

 from each other in different parts of the State, are unable to make a 

 special report. What I shall have to say, please regard as the crude 

 opinions of the chairman, gathered from his limited experience and 

 conversations with the best fruit growers in middle Iowa. 



The natural soil of all Iowa is a black mould, of a depth varying 

 from twelve to even thirty-six inches. This mould is intermixed 

 with sand and clay, in varying proportions ; sometimes the sand prC' 

 dominates, and renders the ground easily tilled, and in wet seasons 

 exceedingly productive. Sometimes the clay predominates and makes 

 a stitf mould, difficult to work, but when well worked, exceedingly 

 productive. The sub-soil is usually clay, though strata occur of 

 sand, and sand and gravel. Universal observation, wherever apples 

 have been tried over the whole State, concurs in opinion that they 

 can be successfully cultivated, and both for quality and size are equal 

 to any in the Union. The quality of peaches when they hit, is first 

 rate, but they are a very uncertain crop. Pears and plums are suffi- 

 ciently cultivated to know that excellent can be produced from our 

 soil, if we can make the trees live in it, and they are no more hable 

 to disease here than all over the west. Cherries of good quality, we 



