1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



293 



doubt not they will turn out hundreds of bushels 

 of fruit. The orchard is also in fine condition, 

 most of it was grafted standard bight, say three 

 feet high The " hot wind " reduced the crop 

 more seriously than that of the cherries. This 

 orchard is one of the largest in the State and is 

 certainly one of the most vigorous and promising. 

 Most of the soil, except near the house, is a clay 

 loam with a tenacious subsoil rather retentive of 

 moisture. Before setting the orchard, lands were 

 so plowed that the dead furrows were made on 

 the line of trees ; the next plowing reversed this 

 and the trees were set in a furrow opened by the 

 plow over this dead furrow, and were mainly cov- 

 ered with the plow, sufficient earth having been 

 thrown on to the roots with a spade to hold them 

 in place, repeated plowings have thrown up a 

 heavy ridge against the trees, and now they must 

 be over a foot of earth above the original collar 

 of the tree ; below this the drainage was made 

 good by the old dead furrow. The whole is to be 

 mole drained between each row of trees. This 

 may be called deep planting, but when we take 

 into consideration that the trees have all made a 

 vigorous growth and show no signs of lagging, 

 we may come to the conclusion thatin well drain- 

 ed soil deep planting if not the best is certainly 

 not the worst. In this case the dead furrow be- 

 tween the rows are at least two feet below the 

 earth at the base of the trees, and as the slope 

 is gradual it already affords good drainage. He 

 now proposes to put the mole three feet below this 

 dead furrow, which will make it an average of 

 four feet. This will require about one hundred 

 rods to the acre and at a cost of, say ten dol- 

 lars. When this is done we apprehend Mr, W. 

 will have one of the best paying orchards in the 

 State. As much has been said in regard to deep 

 planting, we wish to recall to mind the previous 

 preparation in regaid to draining. In anything 

 like low grounds, or those not having a good 

 slope, we would recommend planting on the sur- 

 face and throw successive furrows on to the trees, 

 so as to obtain good drainage, but when the land 

 is underdrained would prefer the flat culture. 

 The grounds of 



LIEUT. GOV. HOFFMANN 



Adjoin those of Mr. W. on the east. Forest tree 

 planting has been the Governor's hobby, and one 

 that he has successfully rode, and his grounds 

 ■wear the most inviting appearance just now, 

 ■when shade is at a premium, with the thermome- 

 ter at a hundred under these leafy treasures. A 



liberal sprinkling of evergreens have added much 

 to the beauty of these extensive grounds. 



Late in the evening w again took the train 

 bound West, and about midnight arrived in the 

 village of Oswego, on the beautiful Fox river. — 

 We were sent to the principil hotel, which is 

 miserably kept by a man whose name we were 

 determined to forget before dinner ; but we fear 

 the efi"ect of the bad breakfast did not wear oflf 

 until we sat at the bountiful board of Mrs. S. G. 

 Minkier. To ride part of the night in such hot 

 weather, to swelter the rest of it in a small room 

 just large enough for two beds, and then to be 

 served with villainous cofi'ee, tough steak drench- 

 ed with rancid butter, with a lump of the same 

 to grease your sodden rolls, flanked with eggs 

 fried in the same delectable stufi", is about enough 

 to make even the pretty village of Oswego look 

 as though seen through a smoky glass. 



A drive of four miles brought us to the nursery 

 and orchard of 



S. G. MINKLEE. 



The orchard contains fourteen hundred trees. 

 The aspect is to the northwest, and protected on 

 the north by the forest and also at a short dis- 

 tance te the south and west. The broken nature 

 of the country along the left slope of the Fox 

 river tends also to aid in breaking oflF the winds 

 from the south and west. The soil is a clay 

 loam, though varying in character, but all highly 

 charged with lime, this part of the country lying 

 on the Niagara limestone belt. Fifteen of the 

 trees have been set twenty years; they were 

 seedlings and top-grafted ; some of these trees 

 are dead, and all showing signs of decay. This 

 does not argue that top-grafted trees are longer 

 lived than those root-grafted. Fifty of the trees 

 have been set fifteen years and the remainder at 

 intervals every year since. All of the sizeable 

 trees had set full of fruit, but the " hot wind " 

 came an(f a large part of the young fruit fell off. 

 Last year he had a very full crop. Mr. M. does 

 not like to give up the old Rhode Island Green- 

 ing, and we must confess that in his soil the trees 

 are fine and the fiuit rather abundant, yet we 

 could not recommend it on common prairie land. 

 The Yellow Belleflower is a favorite, nor can be 

 see any difference in the value of root and top' 

 grafted trees, both of which he has had a long 

 time in bearing. The Winesap, Minkier, Kes- 

 wick Codlin, Dutchess of Oldenberg, Early Har- 

 vest, Eed June and Raules' Janet are especial 

 favorites. The Red June is a small tree and can 

 be set close. The Rambo is a little tender, but 



