MOCRE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
/.ER80NNEL OF THE ILLINOIS STATE 
HOET. SOCIETY. 
In view of tbe fact that the American Po- 
mological Society is to be the guest, practi¬ 
cally, of the Illinois Horticultural Society at 
Chicago, the present year, the following 
in relation to the prominent members of the 
latter society will be read with interest by 
pomologists. We find it in the. Chicago 
Evening Journal : 
The personnel of the members of the 
society is admirable, with probably a ten¬ 
dency, in some of them, to run in grooves or 
lines of thought, called bj’some, one-ideaism, 
or some particular hobby to ride, that, in 
their opinion, is paramount to all others. 
First on the list is father Smiley Shepherd of 
Putnam county, a veteran of 76 years, who 
came to his present place of residence in 
1829, and, I think, claims to he the first 
settler of what is now Put nam county. He 
is yet hale and licarLy, tall, erect and sym¬ 
metrical in form, of dignified mien and bear¬ 
ing, very sociable, a man of general educa¬ 
tion, full of reminiscences of the past and 
great hope for the future. He claims to have 
had a considerable share in forming the 
educational system of the State, and to be the 
author of the industrial system of education, 
that found Its culmination in the establish¬ 
ment of the State Industrial University. I 
suppose Father Shepherd’s claim is just, for, 
when a young man, many years ago, your 
correspondent remembers calling on and 
being entertained by him, and the educa¬ 
tional system of the State was then discussed 
and particularly in regard to educating 
farmers’ sons and daughters, lie has in 
former years been an able contributor to the 
agricultural and ;horticultural press of the 
country, and this subject of education was 
always Iris great theme. Father Shepherd 
is a strict Presbyterian, and lives liis faith 
by his daily walk. He was the first Presi¬ 
dent of the society, of which he has always 
continued to he an honored member. 
Robert Douglas of Waukegan, the retiring 
President, is a man of great culture, a de¬ 
voted horticulturist, a high toned gentleman, 
I think of Scotch descent. A rich vein of 
quiet, humor, is a kind of “ eircilating me¬ 
dium” in his composition, and breaks out at 
times when least expected. 
Quiet and unpretentious as a presiding 
officer, his rulings are quick and never ap¬ 
pealed from. When lie vacates the chair 
to take part in the discussions, which he 
does at times, liis remarks are direct, to the 
subject, and listened to with the greatest 
attention. AJthcugh a practical tree-grower 
nurseryman, and engaged in supplying ever¬ 
greens. foreign timber trees and shrubbery, 
he never permits any personal interests to 
control him in the least when he takes part 
In the discussions. In a, word, he has no “ ax 
to grind ” aside from the general interests of 
horticulture. 
Dr. E. S. Hull of Alton, the newly-elected 
President, a man thoroughly devoted to the 
science of horticulture, is very tenacious of 
his views, because he feels sure they are the 
result of years of observation. He is a care¬ 
ful orehardisl, and it gives him pleusure to 
give his experience and success to his fellow- 
members, and for that reason he takes part 
in almost all the discussions, and when 
crossed in discussion will contend moRt 
earnestly for his views. He will make an 
able presiding officer, and represent the po- 
mological interests of the State with great 
ability at the forthcoming exhibition of the 
American Pomological Society, to be held in 
this city in September, 1875. 
J. E. Starr of Elsa, ex-President of the 
society, a man of great culture and dignified 
bearing, a practical fruit-grower, I think 
gives vineyard culture more attention than 
any other branch of fruit-growing, although 
producing apples and peaches in considerable 
abundance. As a member of the society he 
is industrious and pains-taking, always look- 
ingout for its we’fare, and giving every sub¬ 
ject that comes up the closest attention. 
M. L. Dunlap of “Rural Home,” Cham¬ 
paign, ex-President, is n thorough horti¬ 
culturist in theory and practice, a. utilitarian, 
and thoroughly acquainted with the fruit 
business in all its parts. His homo duties 
were so great, preparing for the future in 
Utilizing his fruit that he coulrl not attend 
the sessions of the present meeting, but sent 
a letter of regrets and making many useful 
suggestions for the future, that were well 
received by the society. 
Mr. Dunlap is more especially engaged in 
growing apples, but has a great deal of other 
fruit scattered round in great profusion over 
his extensive fruit grounds, 
In intellectual culture Mr. Dunlap is equal 
to any of his peers in the society, and sees 
matters with his own eyes, and draw's his 
own conclusions, and his fellow members 
| are certain that he is a little “set in his 
ways” of thought and action, and think 
that he is disposed to treat a little un¬ 
charitably any enterprise that does not, for 
any reason, meet his approbation. If be 
| is a little straight-laced in t his respect, he is 
no less a useful member of the society, and 
the members all honor him for hi? unyielding 
advocacy of what he thinks is right, even if 
his views do not coincide with their own. 
As a horticultural and agricultural writer 
Mr. Dunlap is widely known as the “ Rural ” 
! of the Chicago Tribune. 
Tyler McWhorter of Aledo, ex-President 
is a man bristling all over with fine points ; 
a man of scientific attainments and a practi¬ 
cal horticulturist. He does not talk much, 
but he can do it when the occasion calls him 
out, and always commands the strictest 
attention. His papers read to the society 
j show great breadth of thought and care in 
i presenting his subject, and he never talks or 
writes unless lie fully understands his sub¬ 
ject. 
Jonathan Huggins of Woodbum, the 
Treasurer of the Society, is one of the “salt 
of the earth ” for integrity and uprightness. 
He has been treasurer for many years, and 
will be as long as he will consent to serve. 
He is one of the best, practical orcharclists in 
the society, and cultivates an orchard of 65 
acres, assisting in all the details himself. 
His papers read to the society are never 
lengthy, but every sentence scint illates with 
practical thought. He does not. talk much, 
but w hen he does no man in the society is 
listened to with more attention, lie is a 
thorough utilitarian, and all his products are 
saved and used in some shape, nis choice 
fruit is packed carefully and sent to market ; 
his over-jape fruit is preserved by drying by 
improved process; and his imperfect and 
small fruit is ground up, and, in process of 
time, is converted into the best of vinegar. 
He is pre-eminently a fruit authority even 
amongst the best, in the State, and is so re¬ 
garded by liis fellow-members. 
Daniel B. Wier of Bacon, the man of much 
knowledge in horticulture, pomology, ento¬ 
mology and kindred sciences, in all of which 
he is a prodigy. Dan lias been a student of 
horticulture from his youth up, and in Ids 
younger years it was an up-hill business to 
make progress, but perseverance has wrought 
success, and there is no man in the society 
i that has a wider range of knowledge that 
pertains to horticulture as a science. Years 
ago we used to hear it said that Ids knowledge 
was more theory than practice, but that, was 
when be was only a student.. Now that he 
has attained the full stature, and passed the 
student period and graduated, he certainly, 
with the aid of able assistants, ought to cul¬ 
tivate the best orcbv,rds and vineyards and 
berry grounds in the State. He manages a 
large nursery : lias near two hundred acres in 
apple, cherry and other orchard-stock; is 
largely engaged in the propagation of new 
varieties of fruit that he thinks valuable. 
With all this on his hands, he has in a large 
degree to depend on outside help, and it is 
not all the time that the very best can be se¬ 
cured, so that it is no wonder that the work 
on his immense grounds sometimes is not 
done just at the time it should be, or done as 
well as it should be when it. is attempted. I 
have looked over his grounds in years agonc, 
and found a great deal of his orchard, as I 
thought, enjoying the benefits of “ whole¬ 
some neglect.,” hut, there are some orehardists 
that believe in that doctrine, but I think an 
orchard should be well cultivated, as well as 
a corn-field. 
| Mr. Wier is an indefatigable worker, never 
idle, a close observer of insect fife and plant 
growth, and is yet quite a young man. 
Such attainments in the practical workings 
of horticulture cannot go unrewarded and 
promises in future years, as it is now, a great 
benefit to Mr. Wier and to his fellow orchard- 
ists all over the West. Bnt I must stop 
right, here, leaving a host of worthies, such 
as Minkler, Nelson, the two Gastons. Sne- 
decker, Shaw, Kinney, Judge Brown, Hum¬ 
phrey, Burrel. Elmer Baldwin, Isaac Bald¬ 
win, David Hammond, Barter, Senator 
Robinson, Burrill, the two Bryants, Samuel 
Edwards and H. J. Dunlap, unnoticed for 
the present for want of space. 
- 
Hon. T. A. Thompson, the Grand Lecturer 
of the National Grange, was born in Trum¬ 
bull Co., Ohio, in 1822, and the youngest of 
eight children—six sons and two daughters 
—all of whom were familiar with farm life. 
Hia parents were from Farmington, Conn. 
A portrait and biographical sketch of Mr. 
Thompson will soon be given in the Rural. 
ABOUT BEE FORAGE. 
At the last meeting of the North American 
Beekeepers’ Association the following ques¬ 
tion was asked and discussion took place : 
“Can bee-keeping as a business be success¬ 
fully practised in a locality producing » large 
amount of clover, but no other source except 
locust and fruit bloom in the spring ?” 
Mr. Chapman—I will give an idea how to 
get honey from clover. I have been a 
fanner. Take a field in a good state of cul¬ 
tivation, sow it in clover, and when it has 
fairly covered the ground it will draw a 
moisture from the surrounding land, l do 
not plow it, but add more to it; this field 
will deposit much more evaporation than 
the surrounding, or poorly cultivated fields. 
Mr, Hoagl&nd—I don’t think I am prepared 
to express myself; we cultivate from 20 to 60 
acres of buckwheat of the black variety. 
The gray superseded the black, and then in 
three years J got the silver quill. Two years 
ago it produced more than it has since. 
Sometimes clover isthebest for honey and 
sometimes bass-wood, but now clover is the 
honey resource, as basswood has failed by 
Being destroyed. I wish to say that buck¬ 
wheat. is not so exhausting as some think. I 
had a new field in for 16 years, and an ad¬ 
joining field only two crops, then sowed 
with timothy, and clover • ,:w finely. Buck¬ 
wheat does not exhaust the soil, as it draws 
most of itR dampness from the air. 
Mr. Bcnedict. -Tn my locality they do well 
on clover and locust.; the idea I would go on 
would be to select a locality where it is good 
to secrete honey. Our honey ceases at, the 
end of clover time, the season lasts about 
five weeks. Linn is the best that we can 
cultivate—easily transplanted—I set out a 
great deal of it last spring, it, did well; set 
out as soon as the frost is out of the ground ; 
blooms last of June with us. 
Mr. Zimmerman—I discover in my ex¬ 
perience more honey along tbe rivers, and 
bees do better on bottom timber. We have 
clover and basswood. I would recommend 
that all would cultivate catnip. Basswood 
is abundant, in my grove and I cultivate 
some of it, it. i« m-xL to full flowers. Bone set, 
golden-rod (threo kinds of it), the low sort is 
the best. Use extractor in summer, and get 
winter stores from fall flowers, and some¬ 
times when these begin I make three hives 
of one. 
Mr. N. N. Betsinger—Asked if sowing two 
acres of catnip will pay. 
Mr. Zimmerman—I think it will. 
Mr. Benedict—I think it will pay better to 
sow white clover where the ground is moist. 
Mr. Betsinger—Two years ago I sowed 
A lsike, and it, came on last June. In passing 
through the AIsike clover, saw bees swarm¬ 
ing on it, (sowed ii on low, damp ground) 
while white clover did not do near so welL 
Mr. Zimmerman—Which does the best f 
Mr. Betsinger—Alsike is my experience. 
Mr. Benedict—Bees work equally as well 
on Alsike as on white clover, think Alsike 
will secrete more honey. 
Mr. Abner J. Pope—I went to the Shenan¬ 
doah Valley, Va., was therefrom June 2lst 
to Oct. 30th. I saw “blue thistles” in 
bloom, aud some told me it was their best 
boney source ; some fields were full of it, 
and it was troublesome; in another field by 
the side of it I saw white clover. Thistle is 
the best honey source and does not hinder 
cultivation, it enriches the soil and never 
fails to produce honey. I also saw it in 
Maryland. 
Mr. Clarke—I would say that there is a 
Canadian thistle and you are welcome to all 
of it. 
Mr. J. W. Sherif—I notice growing a spe¬ 
cies of clover, it grows 3 ft. high, and I saw 
as many as twenty bees on a flower, both 
black and Italian bees. Blooms last of 
August. 
Mr. John Stevenson—I planted sunflower 
for ornament and my bees done well on it 
this summer. 
Mr. Rush—I planted plenty of it and never 
saw a bee on it only for pollen. 
Mr. J. Winder—A friend recommended it 
highly for honey. 
Mrs. Tupper—We need a locality which 
has locust, clover and fruit bloom. This 
year my bee did well on fruit bloom, but it 
does not occur one season in ten. We should 
arrange to have our bees ready for the honey 
harvest. I would begin to rear brood freely, 
early. I would give them empty comb in 
tlie middle of the hive and get brood in it, 
and have the hive st rong, and may have as 
high as two bushels of bees; continue to 
feed and keep the queen going. Everyone 
should study their locality. When I use 
empty comb I keep them from swarming. 
Mr. Betsinger—What kind of a hive do 
you use ? 
Mrs. Tupper—I use a plain box hive with 
frames 12x12. Alsike clover when sown in a 
good locality is the best I have, better than 
white clover. 
Mr. King—I think if I should go into the 
honey gathering again I should look to fall 
planus, such as golden-rod and aster, the 
golden-rod is rather yellow but aster is much 
clearer honey. All through Ohio we don’t 
ha’i'e much fall blooms, and even east of it. 
Mr. Chapman—I am of the opinion of Mrs. 
Tupper, I can control swarms by giving 
empty comb. 
Mrs. Tupper—Many persons have more 
fall pasture than they think they have, if 
they would take the honey out and give 
them a chance of gathering it. 
Mr. Replogle—What is the difference of 
the same kind of flowers in different locali¬ 
ties and same climate ? 
Mr. Betsinger—Where I am located now 
in Onondaga Co., N. Y., we have all kinds. 
I saw basswood so plenty, that if you would 
shake a tree it would fall in profusion and 
daub you with honey, it lasted one week 
each year. Last year I got ah my surplus 
honey from teasel. It is not best to raise 
over three acres of it, it is a valuable plant, 
and I would give up bees if I had nothing 
bet ter than clover. 
Mr, J. E. Moore—I think, with me it would 
pay to keep bees on white clover, near 
Rochester, Pa. I got 107 lbs. from one hive 
from May 20th to July 4th. 
A SHORT CHAPTER ON TOMATOES. 
During the past few years much has been 
said and written Concerning the merits of the 
different varities of tomatoes. Tn size, flavor, 
smoothness of skin and solidity of flesh, 
there has certainly been great improvement 
made: but among the scores of varieties 
that have been introduced within the last 
ten or fifteen years with such a loud flourish 
of trumpets,—and one variety of which was 
claimed by the originator to be thirty days 
earlier than any other, what have we ma¬ 
terially earlier now than the old Early 
Smooth Red ? In order to test this matter 
by actual comparison, I obtained seeds of 
eighteen varieties ; and to be certain of each 
kind being genuine.they were purchased eith¬ 
er of the originators or a reliable seedsman. 
The seeds were sown in a hot bed April 1st, 
transplanted into a cold frame when the 
plants had attained three or four inches of 
growth, and agaiu transplanted to the open 
ground about the first of June. Great care 
was taken to treat them all as nearly alike 
as possible throughout each season. 
The table below shows the time of ripen¬ 
ing of the first fruits of each kind in 1871, ’72 
and ’78. Last summer my trial bed of to¬ 
matoes, containing several new varieties, in¬ 
cluding Canada Victor, was entirely destroy¬ 
ed by the heavy rains of July. But from 
what I have seen of the latter variety in my 
neighbors’ gardens, 1 am inclined to think it 
is no earlier than many of the old sorts. 
Hathaway’s Excelsior, in my opinion, pos¬ 
sesses more good qualities than any other in 
the list; It is as early as any, of good size 
and flavor, and is round and smooth without 
crease or wrinkle ; flesh very solid, equal to 
the Trophy in this respect. The Trophy is 
an excellent kind, but is very liable to rot 
before getting thoroughly ripe. Gen. Grant 
and Alger are also good sorts, and have one 
good quality not possessed by aDy others, 
their fruit grows in large bunches and ripens 
up all at once, early in the season : 
1871. 1872. 1873. Av’ge 
9. 
15. 
6 
— 
10. 
— 
12. 
12. 
7 
19. 
8 . 
8 
11. 
19. 
8 
—. 
19. 
— 
10. 
12. 
_ 
15. 
_ 
20. 
13. 
10 
— 
It. 
— 
18. 
15. 
11 
12. 
19. 
1C. 
20. 
11 
20. 
14, 
— 
22. 
— 
L. W. 
G. 
Early Smooth Red. 26. 
Gen. Grant. 27. 
Stnss' Ouster. 29. 
Large Smooth Red . 25. 
Keyes’Early Prolific.... 28. 
HuDbnrd : 3 Curled Leaf.. — 
The Cooks’ Favorite. 29, 
Maupnv’* Superior. 27. 
Arlington . — 
Trophy.. 30. 
Earley’s Jietlance.;. — 
Cedar Hill. 31. 
Feeee Red .. . 28. 
Golden Striped. — 
Lester’s Perfected. .Anc. 5. 
Tildcn. 1 . 
Amherst. Mass. 
Seedless Watermelons.— The Sutter Cal. 
Banner says : We are informed by Mr. Wm. 
Mawson, one of the champion watermelon 
growers of Sutter county, of a novel way of 
producing seedless watermelons. When'the 
vine begins to bear he lets the f water¬ 
melon on each branch grow nndist tied, but 
covers the branch up with dirt, from the first 
melon to the second one, or within six inches 
or more from the end of the vine will be a 
seedless watermelon, the melon nearest the 
body of the vine having kept all the seed. 
