1864 



THE ILLmOIS FARMER. 



245 



Alton Horticultural Society. 



Friday, July 1, 1864. 



The Society met at the residence of Washington 

 T. Miller, in Alton, at 10 o'clock a. m„ President 

 Hull in the Chair. Among the members present 

 were Dr. E. S. Hull, Geo. C. Eisenmaver, J. M. 

 Day, C. W. Dimmock, J. McPike, H. G. McPike, 

 Ellis Hibbard, S. R Dolbee, H. N. Kendall. F. 

 Starr, J. Burton, E. A. Riehl, J. M. Pearson. W. 

 T. Miller, James Newman, S. B. Johnson and a 

 number of ladies. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



Dr. Hull reported that having examined the mi- 

 croscope obtained for the use of the Society, he 

 thought for general purposes it was perhaps the 

 best. 



Mr. Pearson tendered to the Socity the use of a 

 microscope of easier adjustment. His offer was 

 accepted with thanks. 



The Committee on places of meeting reported 

 that the next meeting would be held at Mr. Hug- 

 gins, near Woodburn. 



The Committee on Entomology reported on ex- 

 hibition. 



1. A cedar fly, from Dr. E. S. Hull. It bores in 

 unpainted wood and is thus very troublesome when 

 numerous. 



2. A squash-bug from Mr. E. A. Biehl. 



3. A plant-louse from J. M. Day, very destruc- 

 tive to the water-melon. 



Mr. Riehl said he had been unable to kill the 

 squash-bug with air slacked lime or in any way ex- 

 cept by hand. Dr. Hull found them exceedingly 

 destructive last year to the Hubbard Squash, at- 

 tacking the vines, the leaves, and finally the fruit 

 Thia year, however, he had found that by digging 

 a hole about the size of a goose egg near the stem 

 of the vine and covering it with a chip, the bugs 

 were induced to seek lodging on the under side of 

 the chip, whence they could be readily transferred 

 in the morning to a vessel of hot water or soap- 

 suds. 



Mr. Day said the plant louse presented by him 

 had appeared since 185*7, on the water melon vines 

 in the extensive fields devoted to that product in 

 the American Bottom. They were most injurious 

 in 1857 and 1858. They begin upon the vines when 

 scarcely a foot long and disappear about the first 

 of August. Are most destructive in dry seasons. 

 Air-slacked lime and tobacco water did not seem 

 to check them. An insect supposed to be the lar- 

 va of the lace wing fly feeds upon them. Had re- 

 ceived a letter from Dr. Walsh in regard to them 

 which he would endeavor to produce at the next 

 meeting. 



Dr. Hull presented the head of an enormous 

 sting beetle that had overcome a crawfish in a sin- 

 gle combat. 



The Fruit Committee reported on exhibition. 



From Mr. Flagg late Duke and English Morello 

 Cherries, not quite ripe ; Cherry, Red Dutch and 

 Black Naples Currants, very fine ; Houghton and 



wild Gooseberries, large and fine ; Raspberries, 

 Red Missouri, firm, injured by drouth ; Doolittle, 

 large, firm, but also injured by drouth ; Purple 

 Cane, too soft for market ; Keswick Codlin Apple, 

 not yet ripe. 



From C. W. Dimmock, Ohio everbearing rasp- 

 berry, large, and of a fine flavor for a cup berry. 

 Downing's everbearing mulberry, green, half ripe 

 and ripe, of exquisite flavor and worthy of trial. 



Mr. Pearson wished to know wherein the com- 

 mon mulberry was excelled by the Downing. 

 Dr. Hull could see no superiority. 

 Day thought the Downing decidedly better. Of 

 better flavor and less stringy through the center of 

 the fruit. 



Mr. Dimmock was disappointed at first in the 

 quality of the fruit, but finds it improve with use. 

 Bears until frost. 



Dr. Hull presented a model of grape stakes in- 

 tended to combine the advantage of stake and trel- 

 lis pruning. It consists of three stakes set in a 

 line two feet apart and connected by a strip of 

 lath at the top and at the surface of the ground. 

 This permits the pruner to pass between the vines 

 and finish a vine that he has commenced upon 

 whilst it gives the advantage of lateral tr^ning. 



Mr. Pearson brought up the matter of taking oflF 

 the laterals of tne grape vine. Had been in the 

 habit of doing so, but from the talk at late meet- 

 ings, was inclined to change his practice. 



Mr. Miller said the larger the cane the better the 

 fruit. 



Dr. Hull said that President Shepherd, of the 

 State Society, in former jears allowed the laterals 

 to grow on his Isabellas and Catawbas, and pro- 

 duced his premium fruit from such vines. His own 

 conclusions therefrom was that strength rather 

 than large size was desirable ; that letting the lat- 

 erals grow made a coresponding increase of roots 

 and consequent strength in the vine the following 

 year, whence resulted the finest fruit. But would 

 use the laterals as a means of acquiring strength 

 not to raise fruit upon. 



Mr. Eisenmayor said he was intending to try 

 training vines almost upon the ground. The grapes 

 so grown are sweeter. 



Elias Hibbard and John McPike were elected 

 members. 



Ou motion of Mr. Riehl, a Standing Committee 

 to examine and report critically at the following 

 meeting upon the condition and culture of the 

 grounds of each member visited, &c., was appoin- 

 ted, consisting of Messrs. Biehl, F. Starr, D. E. 

 Brown, Flagg and Burton. 



The Society then took a recess, which was very 

 agreeably spent in the dining room, under the hos- 

 pitable direction of Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and in an 

 examination of the vineyard, which is the largest, 

 it is believed, in this locality, as well as the most 

 fruitful. Five thousand Catawba vines are planted 

 around the sides of a large sink hole, presenting 

 in the season of full fruiting and foliage a most 

 picturesque and pleasing sight. 



The Society being again called to order, Mr. 

 Newman read an Essay. 



A special committee on Wines, consisting of 

 Messrs. Pearson, Dimmock, Eisenmeyer, Dolbee 

 Hibbard and Kendall made the following reports : 



