1862. 



THE ILLmOIS FAKMEJl. 



[For the Illinois Farmer.] 



Statistics of an Old Orchard. 



Thinking that a few facts bearing upon the 

 age to which apple trees attain in Illinois may be 

 interesting to the horticulturist of this State, I 

 hand youthe following statement : 



My father, Gershom Flagg, emigrated from 

 Vermont to Illinois and settled twelve miles east 

 of Alton in the year 1818. In the following 

 year, as I find by memoranda in my possossion, 

 he set out two apple trees and one hundred peach 

 trees, the kinds and longevity of which I am ig- 

 norant of. One or two peach trees probably 

 shoots from the old roots, are still living. 



In the year 1822, he procured from the nurse- 

 ry of Mr. Wood, of St. Clair county, three hun- 

 dred seedling apple trees, costing $5 per hun- 

 dred, and set them out in April. Of these about 

 one hundred and twenty are living, but probably 

 not more that sixty are healthy. The largest 

 and most vigorous, at three feet from the ground, 

 measures six feet and nine inches in circumfer- 

 ence, or about twenty-seven inches in diameter. 



In November, 1822, he purchased of John 

 Smith, residing three miles south of Greenville, 

 in Bond county, two hundred and twelve grafted 

 apple trees for $20. These varied in age from 

 two to four years old, and with apparently five 

 additional trees made out the following list : 



25 Rambo, now living, ... 10 

 55 Large Romanites, now living, . . 9 

 18 Hoop's Winter Pearmain, now living, 4 

 29 Rallstone's [Rawle's] Janet, alive but go- 

 ing fast, 12 



14 Pennsylvania Red Streaks, alive but go- 

 ing fast, ...... 9 



13 Small Romanites, all dead . . 00 



9 Red Russets, [Pryor's Red] living and 



healthy 5 



6 Name not known, [Vandeveres] dead fif- 

 teen years ago GO 



8 Red Pippins, dead fifteen years ago . 00 



1 Milam, living, . . . , . 1 



2 Blackbarn, living .... 2 



3 Queen Apples [Large Romanites, under 

 incorrect name], living ... 2 



11 Maryland Red Streaks, living . . 1 



28 Green Pippins [Green Newtown ?] . 16 

 25 June Apple [White June] . . 15 



217 



86 



All of these trees, seedling and grafted, were 

 in fair bearing condition up to the winter of 

 1855-'6, in which, as I suppose, the severe cold 



exceeded anything on record in this viciniry, the 

 thermometer falling to 20® below zero. Thus, 

 for thirty-three years, they were in fair health. 

 Since that tifiie the failure has been rapid, and 

 this year the only trees in good bearing ami of 

 thrifty appearance were the Pryor's Red. The 

 same was true o* the White June last year. The 

 Newtown Pippin trees are of thrifty appearance, 

 but nearly barren. The Pennsylvania Red Streak 

 is still fraitful, but the t.^^ees are on their last 

 legs. The Rawle's Janets arc nearly worthless, 

 either as trees or bearers, and the Small Roman- 

 ites have been dead some years. One Newtown 

 Pippin tree measures five feet and six inches in 

 circumference; a Pryor's Red five feet one inch. 



At the end of thirty-nine jards from the time of 

 transplanting the Pryor's Red may be said to be 

 the only tree wnose promise for (he future years 

 is still good, and the White June and Newtown 

 Pippin are, I should judge, the only others that 

 will rej.ay renovation. The survvors of these 

 are, of the Prior's Red 55 per cent. ; of the 

 Green Pippin, 57 per cent. ; of the White June, 

 60 per cent. 



It may also be of interest to note the fact that 

 the grafted trees have been equal y tenacious of 

 life wiih the seedlirgs, although set out in the 

 same year. 



The ground upon which the orchard grew is 

 the western slope near the summit of the ridgo 

 between two creeks, and a few miles west of the 

 dividing ridge between the wateis of the Missis- 

 sippi and Kaskaskia. The orchard is protected 

 on the north and east by young fore-t trees 

 and the soil is whitish with harJ pan subsoil, 

 the nat"ral grovvth being the hickories and oaks 

 especially pin oak and post oak. 



W. C. Flagq. 



Moro, Madison Co., Ills., Dee., 186'. 



— Such facts as the above are of great value 

 to the orchardist, and it is additional proof of 

 our p'-evious statements that apple orciiards were 

 shorter lived than generally supposed. From 

 these facts we draw two conclusion!:<, Ist, that 

 trees should be trainel with low heads, so as to 

 bring ihem into eaily bearing; and 2J, that 

 close planting is a matter of protection as well 

 as economy. Low heads, clean planting and 

 shelter are points to which the attention of the 

 tree planter should be called. £d. 



-<••- 



Why is a miser like seasoned timber ? 

 Because he never give. 



