••*■■ 



THE ILLIjSTOIS f'^rm:eii. 



31 



superfluous sprouts are to be removed as they appear. The 

 bearing wood i3 to be shortened in during the summer by 

 pinching off the end. The two strung c;ines for ne.\t year are 

 tlius encouraged to grow, and should be allowed to extend, 

 only removing the ends of the side shoots that may appear. 

 Tills U but a brief outline of the mode of pruning adapted to 



bower training stakes. The graft is easily jiropogated by 

 cleft or saddle grafting, done beneath the surface, either on 

 established vines or on pieces of root ten or twelve inches 



lon^, set in tlie soil so deep as to cover the graft, raising a 



little ridge over the' grafts to protect them. By earthing up 



tlie soil tliey will root finely. 



Hardy kinds only were recommended for general planting, 

 such as Concord, Isabella, Clinton, Delaware, Northern Mus- 

 cadine, Ac. 



AFTERKOOX SESSION, 



At 8:20 P.M. the society was called to order. Programme 

 reported and adopted as follows: 1st, Unfinished Business. 

 2d. Deciduous Ornamental Trees. 8a. Ornamental Slirubs. 



4th. Climbing Plants. 5th. Flowering Plants. 



Under the first head, the matter of securing the publication 

 of the full minutes of this annual meeting was considered. It 

 appeared probable that to issue them in pamphlet form would 

 not cost less than $275. Mr. Galuslia explained his action in 

 the matter of publishing the minutes of last year in the third 

 volume of State Agricultural Society's Transactions. He was 

 informed by Mr. Francis that those proceedings could be so 

 inserted if they were cut down to about one half their first 

 extent and the copy furnished to the printers by a definite 

 time, which was so short as to give him no opportunity to 

 consult the other officers of the Horticultural Society. He 

 had aimed, in abjidging the proceedings, to leave out those 

 parts which were least interesting to the general public, how- 

 ever important they might be to nurserymen. 



In this connection, Mr. Spencer complimented the Panta- 



graph for its careful reports of the several sessions, and sug- 

 gested that members could send copies of that paper to their 

 local papers as a basis for a notice of the proceedings. Seve- 

 ral members concurred in expressing obligations to the Pant- 

 agi'aph for its reports, and a vote of thanks to that paper was 

 passed by acclamation. Subsequently a number of copies of 

 the Pantograph Extra, containing proceedings of the first 

 tlirec days of the meeting, were l)rought in and distributed 

 gratis, among the members, and a number of packages of the 

 Weekly were offered by different gentlemen for general distri- 

 bution. 



[We are also under obligation to the PantagrapJitor many 

 items In our report. Knowing that the editors of this enter- 

 prising paper would publish a pretty full account of the meet- 

 ing we were less attentive than usual in taking notes. — En. 



III. Farmer. 



Mr. Bragdon offered the following resolution. Adopted 

 unanimously : 



" Reaolved, That this society were highly pleased with their 

 observation of the new Normal Uuniversity building, in its 

 size and adaptedness to the purposes for which it is intended, 

 and we regard it as a nucleus around which much of interest 

 for coming generations shall cluster." 



On motion of Mr. Overman, the constitution was so amended 

 as to make the Executive Committee more central and a more 

 convenient working body ; and the meeting appointed Messrs. 

 Hamilton Spencer, C. T. Chase and C. U. Overman as such 

 committee. 



A considerable amount of correspondence being on the table, 

 which there was not time to read, a committee was appointed 

 to take it in charge, with power to publish, we believe. 



Deciduous Ornamental Trees.— Mr. Bryant was called 

 up, as the leading authority on this topic, and gave his views 

 and responded to questions. He thought the Silver-leaf Ma- 

 ple the best ornamental tree, all things considered, to plant on 

 the prairies ! it was a hardy and beautiful tree, clean ane free 

 from suckers, and a rapid grower. Silver-Leaf Poplar and 

 Black Locust, objectionable in many situations for ornamental 



purposes, on occount of their sprouting so freely from the 

 root. Tulip Tree or American Poplar, a nolile tree ; one of 

 the finest for ornamental purposes. He raises them easily ; 

 has no difficulty in getting them through the winter. Mag- 

 nolia Aoimiiuiia or Cucumber Tree ; a very fine ornamental 

 tree, and very hardy. Sugar Maple, a very desirable orna- 

 mental tree, where one has time to wait for it to grow. White 

 Elm, another very desirable tree. Box Elder, a beautiful tree 

 for a small one. Horse Chesnut, does not succeed in this 

 State, which is singular, since its cousin the Buckeye grows so 

 rapidly. 



Chesnut — Will succeed with proper management. Must be 

 very careful to get good seed ; must take up the young trees at 



one year old and replant them, cutting off the tap root. Grows 

 best on the highest ground. 



Quite a discussion arose concerning this tree. Mr. Overman 

 spoke of the great importance of saving the seed carefully ; 

 must not be allowed to dry so as to shrink in the shell ; if they 

 do they will never germinate ; must be gathered from the tree 

 and packed immediately in clean sand, with all the soil pre- 

 viously washed out of it ; wet the sand and let it freeze and 

 thaw during the winter. 



Mr. Montague would not freeze them at all ; thought Mr. 

 Overman's treatment in that lespect likely to kill them; oth- 

 erwise he approved of it; kept his sand dry. 



Mr. Overman said seeds treated by him as already described 

 had germinated and grown well. 



Mr. Montague had raised the tree successfully on high land. 



Mr. Minier thought it best not to transplant them at all ; 

 plant the seed where they are to stay. 



Others thought they would infallibly winter kill the first or 

 second winter, if not taken up and partiall.r buried. 



Mr. Minier would protect them then. There were chesnut 

 trees growing in one or two places in and near Oidtown Tim- 

 ber in this county. 



Dr. Clapp described a chesnut tree standing in Gov. Wood's 

 yard at Quincy, fully two feet in diameter, from a nut planted 

 by Gov. W. himself; trees near it of twelve to sixteen inches 

 diameter, from nuts grown on the first tree ; trees in bearing 

 condition from nuts grown on these second trees and jiroduced 

 nuts of the same character as the origina' *,ree. But all this 

 was away up on a high Mississiipi river bluff. 



Mr. Spencer suggested some s.ight experience going to con- 

 firm the belief tliat the chesnut grows slowly in our soil until 

 it strikes the gravelly subsoil, after wliich it advances rapidly. 



Mr. Dunlap would recommend packing in mass as soon as 



gathered from the tree; keep till spring in a cool cellar, and 

 plant early where the tree should stand, and protect the first 

 winter. 



Mr. Bryant resuming. American Linden (Basswood,) often 

 makes a beautiful tree when standing alone. Blue Ash was a 

 fine tree. Had always failed with the Spanish Chesnut ; would 



not Stand the northern winters. 



[Mr. Starr remarked that he had raised them at Alton.] 

 The European Mountain Ash succeeds; single tree very 



ornamental. Red-bud, strikingly beautiful wlien in bloom ; 



luindsome when only in leaf, lieech, very slow grower; diffi- 

 cult to make succeed. [Others concurred.] Larch, very de- 

 sirable ; suits prairie soil well, and is very ornamental. The 

 American species or Tamarack, is at home in a swamp, yet 

 does about as well on upland. European species rather finer, 

 but succeeds best in dry soil. Weeping Willow, preferable to 

 any other willow, but unfortunately wont stand the winters 



north. Golden Willow, rather desirable.' Birches succeed 



well with him, (Mr. B. lives at Princeton, Bureau county,) 

 and are tine trees ; the kind known as Paner, Canoe or White 

 Birch is finest. 



Mr. Minier made some eloquent general remarks on the 

 desirability of planting trees: 



Mr. Spencer, as one who was not a nurseryman, gave his 

 testimony to the advantage of getting trees from a good nur- 

 sery, instead off from the forest. They were much more likely 

 to live and grow well. 



At about this time a number of members left to take the 

 early afternoon trains, and the fuither consideration of the 

 regular programme was virtually given up. Some miscella- 

 neous business was however done. A communication was 

 read from the Wisconsin lYuit Growers' Association, inviting 

 Illinois Horticulturists to attend the meeting of that society 

 soon to beheld, or to send communications on matters appro- 

 priate to the meeting. 



Letters from Dr. Kennicott and from Mr. Hazletine, Presi- 

 dent of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, were read, and 

 those gentlemen were elected honorary members. 



A paper on Landscape Gardening by Mr. Kern of Alton, was 



presented and referred to a committee; we believe the same 

 committee which was selected on motion of Mr. Galusha, to 

 make out a list of ornamental trees, shrubs, plants and flowers 

 to be recomraened for amateur cultivation in the several parts 

 of the State, committee consisting of Messrs. Bryant, of Bu- 

 reau, Phoenix of McLean, and Kern of Madison. Dr. Shroeder 



moved a committee of three to report on best variety of grapes, 



mode of cultivation, Ac. Carried, and Messrs. Shroeder, 



Freeman and Smiley Shepherd appointed. 



The following resolution of thanks was adopted by acclama- 

 tion : 



Renohfid, That this society teiider our sincere thanks to the 

 people of Bloomington for the kind reception we have received 

 at their hands, and that we shall ever remember with senti- 

 ments of gratitude the noble-hearted friends residing in this 

 beautiful and growing city, and shall look back upon the few 

 days spent among them as the happiest of our lives." 



Mr. Kennicott here jumped upon a bench, declared he was 

 not satisfied with the society's recognition of the kindness re- 

 ceived here, and called for three times three cheers for Bloom- 

 ington, which was given with a will. In response. Dr. Shroe- 

 der led off with three cheers for the society. 



Mr. Galusha moved tLe appointment of three committees for 

 the three divisions of the State, to act ad interim in examin- 

 ing and making notes on fruits at the time of tneii ripening, 

 and report next year. Carried, and the following committee 

 appointed: Messrs. G. H. Baker of South Pass, Union co., J. 

 M. Hunter of Ashley, and George Berry of Alton, for the south; 



F. K. Phajnix of Bloomington, H. Shaw of Taiewell, and Dr. 

 Clapp of Peoria, for the centre ; C. H. Resens tiel of Steven- 

 son, B. Galusha of Kendall co., and Edgar Sanders of Chicago 

 for the north. 



SHOW OF fruit. 



The show of fruit was not large, but specimens all good. E. 

 K. Jones, S. G. MinKler, Dr. Warder, C. K. Overman, F. K. 

 Phoenix, Mr. Montague, W. H. Hanson of Lee co., and N. 

 Overman, were exhibitors. 



There was a committee appointed to make a report, but it 

 did not fall in our way. 



Jlr. Minkler presented Winesap, Yellow Bellflower, Esopus, 

 Spitzenburg, Slinkier, which bj' the way we consider identical 

 with Brandy wine of K. K. Jones. Mr. M. distributed a large 

 dry goods box of the scions of this fine fruit, English Kusset, 

 Harrison, Ortley, Domine and Green Everlasting. 



The society then adjourned sine die, and the late evening 

 and night trains carried most of the members homeward. 



Thus ended one of the most important meetings of pomolo- 

 gists ever held in this State ; important, as explaining many 

 failures in fruit-growing, and showing how they are to be 

 avoided ; important, as giving a reliable list of fruits for the 



State, not only of apples, but of the small fruits. The subject 



of the Peach and Chgriy was not reached, but these, together 

 with vegetable gardening, will receive due attention at the 

 next meeting. 



We spent the time most pleasantly and profitably, much 

 pjeferring to listen than to take part in the discussion. Our 

 first night at the Nichol's House, under the management of 



G. A. Smith, we made two disceveries, the firsi that this hotsl 

 has the best beds of any hotel at which it has been our good 

 fortune to stop at, during cold weather ; and secondly, they 

 have excellent coffee that puts one in mind of home. The 

 traveling public will thank us for telling them these facts, for 

 Bloomington hotels have not in past tilne stood very high. 

 For the remaining portion of our time we were the guest of 

 Prof.Hovy and Sheriff Withers, to whom and their kind ladies 

 and return our thanks for their many attentions. 



The State Fair. — The Magnet is trying to 

 stir up the Decatur folks to make an effort to 

 secure the holding of the State Fair in that thriv- 

 ing city. This question will be determined at 

 the next meeting of the Executive Board to be 

 held in this city, Feb. 21st. Jacksonville, Peor- 

 ia and Bloomington are competitors for the 

 honor; but the Chicago papers say the Fair must 

 be held in the Ciarden city. AVhat are our peo- 

 ple about V Is there to be no effort made to 

 secure the Fair to Springfield ? 



THE HOUSEHOLD. 



the seeding machine. 



The progress of cultivation has been marked 

 by the introduction of new machinery and of a 

 more scientific course of developing the riches 

 of the earth. The measured beat of the hand 

 flail is hushed in the music of the thresher; the 

 cast iron plow, has become a matter of history, 

 as the morning sun flashes from the polished 

 surface of the steel clipperj-the hand sickle and 

 tha huge cradle, have given place to the Autor- 

 mac reaper, that now sweeps down the harvests 

 of the prairie slopes. The revolving rake rolls 

 up the lengthened windrow, which the iron 

 mower had spread out to cure in the morning 

 sun; and in yonder field stands the iron horse, 

 ready to be harnessed to the plow, when winter 

 shall have receded back to the icy north. But 

 the genius of man has not been circumscribed 

 to the development of the productions of North- 

 em earth; the snowy fleeces of the .Saxon 

 flocks, are now twined by iron fingers, and the 

 hum of the spinning wheel is lost but to memory; 

 the clanking of the looms and the lightning 

 flashes of the shattle, are but the sport and play- 

 thing of steam, and its cea.selets din is far away 

 from the household; iron fingers are plying the 

 busy needle, and the cadence of rerolving 

 wheels beat in unison to the pulsations of the 

 laboring mind. 



The genius of the sewing machine was bom 

 poor, aye, steeped in poverty, the pitiful sum of 

 twenty-five dollars was denied him, but he 

 struggled on, his object was noble, he would 

 snatch the wife from an early grave, and she 

 should no longer ply the needle in the long 

 watches of the night, henceforth her task should 

 be easy, and that which was heretofore the 

 greatest dread should now be but a pleasant 

 pastime; but capital grasped the prize and her 

 toiling mother toiled on, it was after all but a 

 gift to the indolent, a parlor ornament to the 

 rich; its life-like motions and fidelity of purpose 

 was circumscribed to the wealthy; it mocked 

 the widow in her poverty, for it deprived her of 

 labor, it made the sewing girl an outcast, for it 

 took firom her the patronage of the wealthy; it 

 brought no solace to the overtasked mother, for 

 its cost was out of her reach; it was a gift beyond 

 the ability of the masses, a beacon of hope, but to 



mock them^with disappointment ; but capitol 

 cannot always hold her sway and must yield to 

 the patient plodding of the mechanic. Her 

 useful implements cannot always be dressed up 

 in the costly trappings of expensive show to 

 place them beyond the reach of those, who 

 would be benefited by their use. Such has been 

 the history of the sewing machine, and now 

 mth valuable improvements added, it is present- 

 ed at a price within the reach of all. The sew- 

 ing of the farmer's household is now but a pleas ■ 

 ant task, as compared with the hand needle. 

 At my side is a machine which never tires. 

 It is always ready to do the bidding 

 of busy feet and ready hands, the work 

 of half a score of busy .sewers and vet 

 its cost is but forty-two dollars with its various 

 appliances of "guage" and "Hcmraer." It will 

 ' stitch, bind, hem, fell, tuck, gather and em- 



