The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-10-14
$50 4l5,OO0 1880, 600

OhicaSo Is suppiteo IN part oy Mlcnt8xns LIS
peninsular position on the great Lakes. caves it
from frost, which in spring time and autumn i'm.
peril the peach crop over belt of latitude of
at least four degrees further ssath. Southern
Illinois does it's portion in supplying the whole
Northwest. ...
The high lands, billy, mountainous, lying be-
tween the termination of the prairie and the
low lands above Cairo, as yeu approach the
rivers, afford fine fruit growing regisn, and
generous supply goes annually northward from
that point.
Alton and vicinity constitute district by it,
self; and Alton peaches are often Quoted seps-
rately, comm .ndins higher price. In a fruit
growing season, millions Of pounds are shipped
from single depot. the produ,t Of narrow
strip of territory in the immediate vicinity Of
the Mississippi river. The bluffs along the RIVER
in some places nearly four hundred feet above
the level of the stream below, afford favorable
SOIL 1.-THE Loess form .tion) and often in their pc
suliar confguraton give protection against
frosts, which cut of the buds at little distance
back upon the praries. very fine specimen
Of these fruit farms is Dr. z s. Hul's. On the
50 OF August we paid 1t visit. About 100
apricot trees, 30 cherry, 100 plum, 100 pear. 200
bearing pc sch trees and 200 young oaes, and
perhaps 80 Nect4rine comprised the Orchard.
At that date, the apricots and cherries were
and nearly all the ptums were gone /; the cher.
ries selling from We to fifteen doll rs in Chics-
60. One variety Of plum measured sig inches in
largest circumstance. The early Crawford
peach was then in its prime; 500 baskets that
morning had gone to St. Louis Hundreds of
baskets OF peaches measuring niue inches in cir.
eumferenoe could have been supplied ON order.
Fully to appreciate the fac qualities of this or
OF other fruits, one should taste them ut tho
orchard, taking the fully ripe, those too ripe to
market. They are very different tom the same
fruit picked anl mellowed by time.
The doctors method is scientific. Fixing ap.
on the proper locality, for the peach for inst 4uce
he cuts back aud heads the tree, in it's growth
After the fruit is set he goes over the orchard
thinning out, and thinning out, leaving but a
comparatively small portion to mature. On
some, quarter, on others less. He looks after
destructive insects; cuts out tho horers from the
plum and apple trees; invents cvrculio. catcher
In the form of aa imw .,rs inverted umbrella.
mounts it on wheels and keeps it going from
tree TO tree to catch aud destroy the herniciou u,
tree'hooter. He plows and cult,vates his grounds
keeping its soil friable and moist and open to
sunlight In this way, after dozen years Of
experiment and waiting he this year reaches
his first really remunerating success, in fine
crop from all his fruit bearing trees and in
putting on the market q healthful, beautiful.
and most delicious fruit
Other farms there are, here aud there, and
thousands of acres just like his, upcaltiv ated.
lying in PASTURE covered with timber. or living
"out Of DOORS" The finest grapes grown in =
held hang here in rich abundance. One amateur
horticultaralist has forty varieties. Grapes 70.
tail At the stores at i've cents pound. Apples
ct thirty cents II bushsl ON the street Sweet
potatoes one dollar. Melons at auythiav YOU
plesse. The fruit gathered goes to Chicago bv
rail- to st. Paul and New Orleans BY river. goes
to the market, if 1t will pay to sead'it.
M.KW.