294 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



Oct. 



would plant it if he had to replace the trees every 

 dozen years. Smith's Cider is a prolific bearer 

 and valuable ; it is an excellent table apple, and 

 from the word cider being attached to its name 

 people have overlooked its value for both cook- 

 ing and the table ; Yellow Injestrie is very hardy 

 and productive, but he thinks too small for mar- 

 ket. We take the responsibility to say that for 

 those without orchards this variety should not be 

 omitted, for its early and abundant crops. Be- 

 noni and Mother both first rate ; the first named 

 should be in e''en a small collection ; Wagner 

 highly valued ; English Golden Russet and Eng- 

 lish Russet profitable. Baldwin all dead and of 

 no value. Summer Queen and Early Pennock 

 are also ranked among the staple varieties. Bos- 

 ton and American Golden Russet both too tender. 

 Esopus Spitzenburg and Fall Pippin both shy 

 bearers, but produce fine specimens — not profit- 

 able. Grand Sachem, Domine and Willow Twig, 

 all valuable. We could make a long list of the 

 poor paying sorts, but sufiice it to say that a 

 large part, in fact, nearly all the trees set the 

 past ten years are of the varieties above approved. 

 The orchard of Mr. M. is strictly a commercial 

 one, and no great amount of fancy varieties are 

 planted. He has tested a large number of varie- 

 ties, many of which gave out out in the winter of 

 1854-5, and of course have been dropped. The 

 Fameuse and Holland Pippin have not had a trial 

 in his grounds. The trees are set two rods apart 

 each way, and while young cropped to corn. — 

 Orcharding to Mr. M. has proved highly remu- 

 nerative ; his fruit is hand picked, and always 

 commauds a ready sale. 



THE NUESEEY. 



In the nursery the trees are grown stocky and 

 with low heads, say two to three feet. The vari- 

 eties are mainly those above named. 



The orchard and nursery are parts of a large 

 farm which is carried on to good advantage. Mr 

 M. has one of the best barns in the State, and 

 for sheep, pigs, horses, mules and neat stock is 

 not easy to be beat. The day, though sending 

 the mercury above a hundred ia the shade, was 

 pleasantly, though rather laboriously spent in 

 looking through his well kept grounds. .As a 

 farmer and orchardist Mr. M. is among the most 

 successful; he h^is done much towards establish- 

 ing the fact that an abundance of fruit can be 

 furnished at a cheap rate and at the same timepay 

 a good profit to the cultivator. A proper selec- 

 tion of varieties, aspect, shelter and good culture 

 are required. 



MUCK FOa MANURE. 



Mr. M. has a large pond or muck hole lying 

 near the grove and where his stock have an abun- 

 dance of water. This lauck is hauled to the up 

 land and treated as manure by S{ reading, as 

 hauled direct from the pond it is found of equal 

 value with manure, and for wheat and clover is 

 of great value when applied as a top dressing — 

 Throughout the Fox river valley there are hun- 

 dreds of similar ponds which in time will prove a 

 mine of wealth to the wheat grower. At twelve 

 o'clock at night we parted with Mr. Minkler at 

 the Oswego station, and took the cars for a night 

 ride. The Rock Island and C. B. & Q. railroads 

 cross each other near Wyanet, and in going to 

 Rock Island, instead of having a stopping place 

 at the crossing, passengers must get out at Wya- 

 net and take a mile drive in an omnibus to Pond 

 creek on the Eock Island road. All this is 

 decidedly pleasant about three o'l^lock in the 

 morning, especially when a thunder shower is 

 just in the oflSng and ready to pour down on your 

 devoted head. We do not know which of these 

 roads is to blame for this con'emptible arrange- 

 ment, and we can only wish th it they lose no 

 small share of travel in consequence. Some rail- 

 roads hve yet to be taught that a course of policy 

 that would ruin an individual will have the same 

 tfi'ect on them. When we again visit Rock Island 

 we shall endeavor to do so without crossing over 

 to Pond creek — one experience of that kind is 

 ample. We arrived at Rock Island in time for 

 breakfast, and soon after had the pleasure of meet- 

 ing our old friend D. F. Kinney, accompanied by 

 Mr. C. n. Stoddard, who had entered his pear 

 orchard for the inspecion of the Committee. We 

 should have observed that business detained Mr. 

 Chase in Chicago, and that Mr. Hull and ourself 

 now constituted the working part of the Commit- 

 tee. 



The bottom lands of the Miss'ssippi at this 

 point are not very wide, and we soon commence 

 ascending the blufiFs that overlook the river, and 

 a grand eight it is. You look up to Moline, 

 the to-be Lowell of the West, and above and be- 

 low the beautiful scenery that make up the tout 

 ensemble of the Father of Waters. The bridge 

 over which at no distant day shall trundle the 

 riches of the Orient — the beautiful island 

 that lies so quiet in her repose may ere long re- 

 sound to the clang of mighty forges, fashioning 

 out the sinews of war, to guard the eagle of lib- 

 erty ; thesa were to us beautiful in their present 

 and p'easant in their prospective. 



