, 1859-01-27
ADDR SIS
HON. III. l.. DUNLAP.
BEFORE THE
ILLINOIS sTATz HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,
Al nles nllu.!on ILL.,. H. l5 r.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
IT is now t~o Jeurs since few jealous Eor-
t1cuicuturls.s met at Decatur to organize The
State Horticultural Society. They were buoYaht
with hope aB the wide field Of operations which
lay in its almost natural condition oefora them
gave promise that they would have ample verge
Tor their zsalous, benevolent Efforts. The wide
sweep OF prairie, so tempting 10 the agricutur-
let, from lts rich and diversified surince, was
last coming under the hand Of culture, and rev
homes and new altars were beitg erected over
its broad su.face. Tbs iron horse was morinr
IN his pondsrous mujesty IN various directions,
a~aklug the long dormant echoes Of the prairie.
which had been silent slnce the red man met his
brother red Nan in battle Arroy, and the war
whoop was ssi!ed in death. AROUND these thou.
sands Of new homes the wariug grain and the
lowing herds turned the chief feature md be-
cauie the almost objects Of the care al their os-
uers. Iho landscape Was cut into cultivated
| fields or left TO the berdsb1an. The fe~ homes
stood out II bold relief against the horizon, With
| no back ground Of tree or shrub to break the
semenesa OF the view everywhere wared tue
lu1uriAnt sra"s or golden grain the lowing Of
herds or tue shrll notes Of the steam whistle yas
! the music TO which labor paid its court.
1t ~an to till up this picture-to sdd the beau-
tltul to the useul-to make these new homes re-
do1ent Of comfort to elothe them with vines and
| ealbower them amid The leatY treasures Of the
| Sylvan wood; 10 ill the orchard with fruits and
the garden With vegetables, that the rosy hues
| oi health might glow On the cheek OF youth and
| radlate the brow Of labor Ths va. their task
! and this the bjtct OF their conroca,iou to
| these purposes would they bend their energies,
| and to these gire the work Of the their hands,
They have now again met in council 10 sum up
their progress and to lhy out WORK f,r 1ne 1n.
ture. Their plumbers have beeo augmented and
1hel prospects oi euccess loom up brightly before
Them.
Tney have not been idle, but hive laid the
| tou1u4i ci thoua2Dda OF nl0nuMents-not O.!
cruul5ilaE s,hds;o1e-not Of marble, upon wAit b
the gEaver's chisel cuts tue taiu: resemblance OF
fruit or ffo"rr. but the living, growing mouu-
uentB With their ieuty treasures waving in Tie
sunlight, through which the gentle zsphyrs of
summer will nestle and whisper Of Lope md
pleasure; or the more bois:erous winds Of win
ter stop 10 hold converse. FROM these mouu.
nents shul come The robins eIr.y carol. US tue
SUI sends his 'st greeting TO uuth the dawn of
dug; bis morning Sung nhall wake the sleeper
when the bud is first sweiled By the ye7nui show
eF, aud when eArth's Information has Yielded 10
tie warm glow OF the suu, a8 be climbs the
southern SKY.
What noale incentives to urge OF the ho7li-
cusurst to ill Up the vascular system u: agri-
culture, 10 make all its WAYS pte1saat End TO
smooth down it's roug corners, exertius pow-
er!ul Influence tur good and noble ends. II has
Eern aud that horticulture il the haud- d-iuaid O.
Agriculture but it is in fact, sister Art s.ard-
r.
rich lea6ons in The beautiful. Horticulture has
b1gn cla'Us on every t.ler Of the soil, on every
owner of homestead, whether in country, city
or village, whether OF thousand tcres OF twell-
ing Prairie, thousand feel o1 city lot, paEei
court OF Hunl1t window.
How drearT and desolate the farmcr's home,
without the flowers, the fruits end the grateful
Shade, which Can onty ill up 8ud beuuiify it's
surroundings. How bare his table when bee{
pork AID the cereals make up its Catalogue of
edlbles uud what L little assistance from the
garden or orchard gives it Zss. a1d promotes
healther action On The human system.
II Is not my purpose TO ltcture you On the i'm
poFtocce ol this part Of rural daIits aud occupy
four aG1e ia proving what yuu already know,
tut tue calling Of your attention to 50 valuable
fact, IL but tukiug another lcok Ut thing beun-
tifol in itself, and is all the justification ehaI
urge IN my defence.
I:aere are several questions of paramount im-
portauce that should receive our attention ot
this tune and among those per;uiping 10 Pomol-
og5, there is none more deserving cur attention
:hau that Of protecting prairie orchards.
u is contended By Elaor thas the praire soil
is moi adapted to the growth of the apple ih3t
nost valuable Of Il! the Northern fruits, md
that the timber land is the only proper place
tor the orchard. have net been able to see
The force and utility Of this reasoning, 10 fur
thsr thnu this. in The 1acs that the atj4cent
wood breaks oil the severe winds n1d tempers
spring; and bcre think lies the great secret ct
apple culture-lt is ia this yery protection. We
cannot all have timber land End natural timber
protection, and hence tht question, can We grow
npples on the prarieS assuule no small import
auce. To this | Answer, thut the prairie Soil
oilers advantages, ss general thing, superior
to the wood land, and IN every respect equal
thereto.
In the first place, The timber lard offers no nat
ural difference Of soil from thAt Of the prairie.
Some oft is high and rolling ike the h1gh ridge
Of prairie. aud both present aa excess Of clay.
| other portions present the deep traole soil OF
the common pralrle the one Is ANNUALLY burn
| cd over, and the nshes are lixiyated by the
rAinB, "hite the fallen leages and other debris
| ot the Woodland slowly decay Gu the ground.
Both Of these soils contains the elements OF Il
| rapid growth of timber. aud generally o; ,h.
expense Of fruit. 1t is we'll known that the
trees on the out edges Of the groves make
slower gro1th than IN the body Of the timber;
| the harBhness OF the atmosphere nppeara to be
| modified, Hud We enter, Us it we're. milder
| climate. Standing behind single row u trees
OF the prairie Que cau easily appreciate tue l{1.f
through tue branches and is Isrs'cd ot its r.w.
ue.~. What then would bc the effect Of !: closely
planted be1 OF trees Fix rods i'll WlliA Its t1tt-
| uln-t proft magical, not oay upon thc truw;A q;
the orchard, hut in protecting t1le young GEM
tfuM damage by storms of wind and tain WHEN in
! ibtlufescncc by Protecting the young sr1l tr,,n
sudden ch1u:cs wlicll u'tcu prove fatal t., thu
| cryp; hy preventing the halt grown and ,naturel
fruit IRON being blown from the trcc$-tlus max
ins wlud.al!s Of what should Ill ltGre for Use. III
fact, look upon this matter Of timber protection
as tne keystone, in the Success Of fruit culture in
our ptuirle orchards.
| What trees >bal We plant? TIC cottonwood Is
the most rlpid Of growth and ttir easi,st If pro
| poyation, and when orchards have bccn set some
years viii prove yalulb!c for this purpose. i, i:
grows readily from cuttings, all tliAt is required is
c'eun culture ami the cutting put out in April Or
May. Tic suit ,nsp!. AM wniie ash Of oue groves
a1ld tiulcr bottoms are valuable; they gr'w real,-
y from SEEDS, are easily r4nsplan'ei, aud MAKE
valuable timber and fi,cwood. The silver 1t.4t
nipple anil European larrh arr both rapid gr:wc1s
aid invaluable for this purpose. Anoug ever