, 1872-10-21

History of the Testing Of Apples-vVin"
terApp1eS for the mlrlKet-EAll Plants
fns-Shau We Fest New Varieties -
Summer Apples "A Horticultural
Convention.
From Our Agricultural Correspondent.
CHAMPAIGN, H., Oct. 49, 1872.
The season for the planting OF orchards has
again come in it's order, and claims attention.
Twenty years ago few farmers believed that
fruit growing for market WAS a possible thing On
the prairies and, even fifteen years ago, few
men we're found who had sufficient faith in the
business to plant on large scale as far South as
Mattoon. Coe and Percival, near Port Byron,
On the Mississippi; DR.. Pennington at ster-
Minkler, near Aurora, had planted largely
twenty years ago; but the public looked on
with doubt in regard to their succesB. And, to
a large extent, the doubters had it, for tree
after tree died, and others refused to produce
fruit. History was but repeating itself, for,
ont Of some two thousand varieties that had
been planted and proved in New England and
New York, less than dozen had become popu-
lar. The Western planter did not heed this,
but went daft after new varieties, and
filed his orchards with both the cast-off varie-
ties and the new that the South, the East, and
LIS NoItu Adl1 " ubpoa6oA. H1 ouEAt w AAfo
known that but few of these would suit our eli
mate; but which Of all Of them was to be the
select, the especial few, could only be decided
by actual test. Theories we're Of no value, and
the experience Of other parts Of the country
vent for nothing. So changed were the condi-
tions Of soil, climate, aspect, and shelter, that
we had to work out new line OF Investigation,
and decide for ourselves what would best accord
-Aa3 nry11a
here from all parts Of the apple-growing
countries, and brought with them
seeds, scions and trees Of their fayorites; and
no doubt that to-day there are in this State
more varieties Of the apple than in any other
half dozen States in the Union. Many people
complain Of this, and now wish they had not
run SO much after novelties, and filed their or
chards with such a long list Of varieties. That
Tas, no doubt, q mistake, to some extent; but it
has given us q broader and batter test than could
count on dozen varieties that have proved sat-
iafactory. Some persons might consider
tbs thu IN nothing but poo. progress
the older States accomplished in two hundred
years. For their list Of winter apples is less
than ours. What hare they Of any value beyond
the Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, and Esopus
SRlitt3zenburg? Nothing Of grand character;
Wine-sap, Smiths Cider, Ben Davis, Jonatha56,,
h1inkler, and Roules' Janet. Not long list, ii
is true, but quite as good as that Of our
Eastern friends, OF sweet apples, wo
hayo nothing we'll settled as yet, as, thus far, no
enc variety has become very popular. One rea-
son Of this is, that there is very 1itt1p demand
for winter sweet apples. At the East, Talman
Sweet is the leading winter variety, but with us
it proves to be very Indifferent bearer. Then
ne hzre several varieties that promise we'll;
among these are Roman Beauty, White pippin,
and variety sent gut under the name Of Ohio
. profuso bearer, and q long keeper.
There are very many good apples that
have more or less Of lQcal rsputa-
ton, and when they sre in the orch:
aga. it would Pot be. advisable to-: zesratt