PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 253 



if necessary. It is better to devote three years to the preparation of the 

 soil, than to plant in one that is poor and not properly prepared. He 

 would set dwarfs 8 by 10 feet and standards 12 bj"- 15 feet apart. He 

 would never think of growing pears of any kind in sod ground. He thought 

 it a great advantage to mulch ground. It prevents weeds from growing, 

 and preserves fruit that is blown from the trees. . 



Mr. John G. Bergen, Long Island, — I cannot speak fm- other places, but 

 I am satisfied that dwarf pears are not as popular as formerly on the 

 Island. I know they won't succeed in grass land. My trees are not 

 dwarf, because I planted them below the junction, and roots have grown 

 from the pear and made standards. There are some standard pear trees 

 on the Island 5200 years old, and it never would have answered to plant 

 these only twelve or fifteen feet apart. I like the pyramidal form of prun- 

 ing for the garden, but in the field that is to be cultivated trees must be 

 pruned higher. 



Mr. Dodge inquired the object of dwarfing trees, if the pear was after- 

 ward allowed to strike root to make a standard. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — The object is to make them bear fruit sooner. A tree, 

 after once having formed its fruit spurs, always retains them if they are 

 not broken off by accident or carelessness in picking the fruit. 



Dr. Ward thinks the present cost of labor^ioo great to think of growing' 

 pears as an exclusive crop. We must combine some other with H, and 

 plant the trees far enough apart to work between them with a team. 



Adjourned. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



February 21, 1865. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair. 



Southern Illinois. 



Mr. Wm. K. Griffin, Equalitj', Gallatin Co., Illinois: 



Since my name has appeared in the reports of the Farmers' Club, I have 

 received letters of inquiry relative to this region from persons looking out 

 for homes in tlie West. I will therefore condense such facts — in addition 

 to what I have hitherto written — as are most sought for by the prospective 

 emigrant. 



I shall confine my remarks chiefly to the counties of Gallatin and Saline, 

 which lie together at the junction of the Wabash and Ohio, a little south 

 of the 38th parallel of latitude; my knowledge of these being more intimate 

 than of other localities of Southern Illinois. Shawneetown is the port of 

 entrance to this section of the State, and should be the place of destination 

 of any one coming here from the North-East. It is not directly connected 

 by railroad with the interior, but has daily steamboat communication with 

 Evansville, 70 miles above, which is connected by railroad with the North 

 and East. Shawneetown is an old place of between 1,000 and 2,000 in- 

 habitants, and contains considerable wealth, intelligence and refinement, 

 considering its locality. It gave a large majurit}^ for Lincoln. Several of 

 the business men of this place have considerable quantities of land for sale 

 in the counties under consideration, both wild and improved. The former 

 is rated at about SIO per acre, the terms of payment usually being about 



