300 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



OOTOBEE 



Alton Horticultural Society. 



Friday, Sept. 2, 2864. 



Met at the residence of J. and F. Curtis, on the 

 Grnfton road, at 10 a. m. 



The minutes of last meeting were read and ap- 

 proved. 



Also a letter from Henry Engelmann, Ass^istant 

 State Geologist, which was ordered to be pub- 

 lished. 



"I have just examined," says Mr. Englemann, "a 

 salt obf.iiined by Mr. James E. Starr, from under 

 the limLVtone cliffs of his place. It proves to be 

 the Epsomite (natural Epsom salt), which, wrhen 

 pure, is stated in the Hand books of Miuerology, 

 to contain 16|- per cent, of niiignesia, 22^ per cent, 

 of sulphuric acid, and 51 1-6 per cent, of water of 

 crystaliz;ition. It might be used as a manure, es- 

 pecially for clover, instead of gypsum ; or Epsom 

 salts miuht be made of it by di.-solving and re- 

 crystalizing it." 



J. E. Starr read the report of the committee on 

 Entomology : 



Mr. President : The committee on Entomology 

 having been instructed to report at this meeting 

 on insect?, received at the last meeting, respect- 

 fully submit the following : 



From J. Huggins, a large collection. See his 

 report. 



From Jas. E. Starr, a caterpillar in spirits, 

 showing the cocoon of the lehneuman fly, which 

 had fed on its vitals. Also an insect, habits un- 

 known. 



From H. G. McPike, specimens of the magfly. 



I'Voui F. Starr, (injurious), 54 varieties of but- 

 terflies and moths, 11 do. of the grasshopper fam 

 ily, 9 do. of bosir.-J, 3 do. snapping beetles, 12 do. 

 of beetles, 3 do. of wasps, 3 do. curculios, squash 

 bug, pea bug, cicadia, horse fly, ants, and a bug 

 resembling the squash bug, which is a veritable 

 Vjlood sucker, and at least not refusing that of the 

 human family. (Beneficial.) Dragon fly, antlion 

 fly, 2 kinds of tiger beetles, 2 do. lady bugs, lace 

 wing, carrion beetles, 3 do. of spiders. An insect 

 resembling the horse fly, name unknown ; also 24 

 kinds of ins'Cts — habits unknown. 



Among the butterflys and moths, we notice the 

 codlin moth, destructive to apples, and the hawk 

 moth, to tobacco. 



The moths are attracted by lifihts in the night, 

 and small fires built in the orchards and vineyards 

 wou'd destroy very many. 



In the larvae state they can be destroyed by syr- 

 inging wi'h whale oil, soap suds, by dusting with 

 air slacked lime, by crushing by hand, and by per- 

 mitting hogs to eat the fallen fruit. Buds feed 

 upon them and they also fall victims to spiders 

 and other predatory insects. 



Among the grasshopper family, we find the 

 grasshopper proper, the locust, (tree), the cricket 

 and the Katydid. 



Among the beetles, the maybug. This is very 

 destructive to strawberry beds and meadows in 

 the larvae state, and also to the leaves of cherry 

 trees in the beetle state. Hogs will root them out, 

 but of course also destroy the grass and strawber- 

 ries. 



The fires built for the moths would also destroy 

 many beetles of various kinds. 



The curculio should have uncompromising war 



declared against him, and every means known 

 should be employed to destroy him ; jarring upon 

 sheets is the most efiectual, pasturing by hogs the 

 easiest. 



We have thus but glanced at the habits of a few 

 of the insects exhibited, and at a few of the well 

 known methods of destroying them. To enter fully 

 into the subject would require more room than 

 would be admissable in this report and far more 

 knowledge than is possessed by your committee. 

 Respectfullv, 



' E. STARR, 

 J. HUGGINS. 



The committee on Fruits reported as follows : 



We find upon the tables at the present meeting 

 a variety of fruit affording a fine display. 



From Mr. J. Huggins — Apples — Fall Pippin, 

 Sops of Wine, Trenton Early, large and of fine ap- 

 pearance. Maiden's Blnsh, Rhode Island Greening, 

 Pensylvania Red Streak, Red Canada, Rambo, 

 Wagner, Fameuse, Ramsdell's Sweet, Power's 

 Large Red Crab. Pears — Howell, large, worthy, 

 Bartlett, Louis Bonne, Duchesse d' Angouleme, 

 White Smith, [?.] 



From Mr. Curtis — Apples — Fall Pippin, Hub- 

 bardston Nonsuch, Crtley, Roxbury Russut. Pears 

 — Seckel and Bartlett. 



From A. and F. Starr — Fall Wine, Maiden's 

 Blush. Grapes — ^Isabella extra, Catawba and Del- 

 aware. 



From J. E. Starr — Grapes — Herbemont and 

 Concord. 



From Dr. E. S. Hull — Grapes — Catawba, very 

 fine. Concord, Clinton, fine specimens. 



From D. E. Brown — Apples — Boxford and Mai- 

 den's Blush, very large. 



From L. W. Lyon — Pear, for name. Apple — 

 August Pippin. 



From James D. Bishop — Pear, for namci Ap- 

 ple, for name. 



From James Newman — Pear and Clinton 

 Grapes. 



From C. W. Dimmock — Seckel Pear, very large 

 specimen. Grapes — Catawba, Anna, not recom- 

 mended, Delaware and Diana. 



From Messrs. Eisenmayer — Grapes — Concord, 

 fine, Clinton, Herbemont, Norton's Virginia. 



From J M. Pearson — Delaware Grapes. 



From W. C. Flagg— Apples— Fall Wine, Coop- 

 er, Maiden's Blush. Kirkbridge White, Keswick 

 Codlin, Cole's Quince, Hawley, American Summer 

 Pearmain, Summer Queen, Sine-qua-non, Red June, 

 Yellow Siberian Crab, Power's large Red Crab. — 

 Pears — Bartlett, Seckel, Sumnier Bergamot, and 

 three for name. 



From Louis Stieritz — Grapes — Catawba, Nor- 

 ton's Virginia, very large bunches. 



From W. tJ. Miller — Grapes — Catawba, Isabella 

 and White Fox. Pears — Bartlett, very large, 

 Seckel, two pears for name, Louis Bonn. 



From S. R. Dolbee — Grapes — Delaware and 

 Concord. 



From I. Allen — Grapes — Isabella and Catawba. 



For the committee : 



F. STARR. 



The committee on Vegetables find no competi- 

 tion. We find specimens of the sweet potato, egg 

 plant, lima beans and two varieties ef pepper, 

 from the garden of F. Curtis, all very fine. 



D. E. BROWN, Chairman. 



