The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-10-16
Apple and Other Trees on Wet Land.

Referring to the contribution of a
correspondent in alate issue, describ-
ing the healthy condition of the fruit
trees at Tolono, ILL.,, and the country
east from that place to Danville, HI,
thirty-six miles, rs being more than
half under water where he passedover,
I am able to report from personal in
spection made within the month, that
the Oldest, largest, most healthy and
fruitful apple trees there are to be
found in the lowest portions. Only a
mile or two east of Tolono, and within
pistol shot distance of the Wabash rail
road, on a piece of low, fiat prairie
land, is a small orchard where i found
water had stood between the trees until
the vegetation had been drowned and
fotted, and still the trees were very
heavily laden with fair large fruit, had
made good wood growth, and bore full
and healthy foliage. Ten miles further
cast, on the east sid.s of the salt fork OF
the Vermillion, l found old orchards
planted thirty and sixty years ago.
The trees were large and aged, but
healthy and laden with fruit, and
rivalled in size and grandeur the
gigantic and venerable burr oaks,
black walnuts, blue ashes, water elms,
hackberries, bitter-nut hickories, and
other trees common to deep, rich and
moist soils, their near neighbors and
companions. for years. It occurred to
me if forest trees of the number and
variety named, a portion of which
furnish the most valuable timber, make
so large and healthy development on
land always moist, and half the year
with their roots under water, it would
not be strange if apple trees were suited
to the same soil and water conditions.
At any rate, I found the largest, health.
lest and most fruitful trees, were in
every case situated in q depression
which gave their roots NOR than an
average share of the overflow and rain.
fall.
But in these portions of Champaign
and Vermillion counties, as well. as
others visited at other times, the small
or large orchards, browning the eleva.
lions near or remote from the farm
houses, were in a large majority OF
cases in an unhealthy and barren state,
the trees having a sparse, unhealthy
foliage, or SO nearly deprived OF
it, as to suggest the epithet OF
..bald headed.s Indeed, half the
orchards in the black soil counties OF
Illinois are in a condition well de.
scribed as "bald headed" Mr.. Whit.
ney, the well known orchardist OF
Franklin Grove, H., was partly right
and partly wrong, when he said, as re.
ported by a contemporary: .'Unless the
farmers of the..West commence to plant
orchards of varieties of apples which
have proved hardy and reliable, it will
not be long before we shall experience
IAN apple famine id this country" In
this be is right, so far as the decay and
death, of the average orchard is con.
cerned, but. wrong in respect to the
question of varieties and location, fol
/ can show, him Baldwins and othei
supposed tender varieties, aged from
twenty-five to thirty years, with spread
of more than two rods of limb on eacl
side, healthy, vigorous and bending un;
! der enormous loads of fair fruit, but il
Revery case, with their feet in the mud
Just as sure as theirzheads or top are il
the sky. The Baldwin tree, bearing
the best of all apples, seem to do bes
where such noble timber trees, as tn,
blue ash, the burr oak and blackwell
nuts thrive, very naturally, too, fol
birds of afeather flock together whether
the feathers are worth their weight il
gold or lead.-Country Gentleman. 8