Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-05

trunk OF the trees.
After glsncing lightly over the subject
of the culture of plums and blackberries.
fruitgrowers as class, and on farmers as
class of fruitgrowers. With all due
| respect and credit for the work done in
the way of giving us improved varieties
of fruits. and for much that has been
learned in the way of better modes of
culture, yet. probably there is no one who
does as much writing and theorizing for
the same amount of practical work as the
horticulturalist. He will write essays on
blood poison in the sap of the tree. and
| at the same time the insects are on his
own trees sucking out the sap, poison or
no poison; theorize on the effect of the
scion on the stock while the borers are un :
molested boring into its heart. which is Of
much more effect; specializing on the
effect of the pollen on the color of the
fruit while the roots of his trees are in
cased in a blue grass sod to such an ex.
tent that theY cannot get moisture enough
to produce fruit of any color; some writ
ing to prove that the trouble with the
trees is constitutional weakness due to
the methods of propagating in the nur-
sery, ignoring the fact that the same nur.
series supply the trees to both the newer
portions of the west where they do well.
| and to the older portions of the west
where they do poorly.
The farmers orchard, which in it's ma
ture should be the finest spot on the farm,
is usually the worst blotch on its face
II does not get so much work, acre for
acre, as the rest of the farm, while the
natural product of an acre of orchard is
many times more than that of an
acre of ordinary farm crop, and should
10 Justice. if required, have much more
work. We can all learn valuable lessons
from the experiences of others. but in
fruit growing. as in her things, success
does not depend so much in knowing as
in doing. Anyone who knows the gem
eral principles governing plant life, and
has had some experience IN planting
trees and taste for the work, knows
enough to grow an orchard, if he only
works as we'll as he knows how. Let us
before giving up raising orchards on our
farms, give it far, honest, working
trial. l verify believe-and have reasons
for the belief-that if the orchard was
given the same care and attention given
the ordinary farm crops, we could yet
have here in central Illinois orchards
just as good--and better than those
which we're once here, and they would be
of more credit to US than the former ones
were, as they would cost more in labor
and perseverance. Grown under diff
culties the early orchards did not have to
contend with, they would be living mon
uments, attesting to work we'll done, and
to the perseverance, intelligence and in>
dustry of their owners.
Mr.. G. n. Dennis, of Hamilton, ILL.,,
read a thoughtful preparation on
SMALL FRUIT,
the parts upon which he touched more
particularly, being its adaptability to the
Eleventh congressional district, the ne
cessity for it, and the certainty of
success in its cultivation. He showed at
some length with what degree of econ,
omy it could be grown, and the advsn>
tages to come from it in the way of
pleasure, health and comfort. He de
tailed the kinds, the extent, and the dis
tribution of small fruit.
BEEF PRODUCTION,
was the first afternoon paper, it having
been prepared and read by Hon. A,
B Hostetter, of Forreston, vice-presi-
dent of the state board of agriculture.
who illustrated his subject with charts,
showing sketches of thoroughbred
short-horn and q Texas steer, indi
cstive of the top and bottom of the beef
market. An examination of the history
of the beef business would reveal, Mr..
Hostetter said the fact that when any in.
dustry or form Of investment pays unu-
sually large profits. unless it be q mos
nopoly. its course is soon run. A few
who are in the business at the start may
get rich, but the large profits invites in g.
| vestment and stimulates competition, uns
til the profits are cut down to point so
fine that they cease to exist at all This IL
practically the condition of the cattle
business as ordinarily conducted at the
present time, said Mr.. Hostetter. He
then traced the history of the business
from the time when the one ambition
was to be a cattle king and reap a royal
fortune, in which fascinating business
lawyers. doctors. preachers, merchants.
mechanics, book keepers, teachers
widows and orphans invested more OIL
less. to the present time, when people
have begun to realize the failure
of anticipstions. and the ranch business
became demoralized and collapsed as {
result, and now many are more snxiou.
to get out than they were a few year
ago TO get in the cattle business. Mr.
Hostetter did not think there we're toe
many cattle in the United States today
but they were not of the right kind. /
was the half>civilized Texans, the infer
ior rangers, and the scrubs. and scala
wags. and lily -mstured, and poorly bret
cattle upon our farms. that is hurting tn
cattle trade. The demand for prim,
beef, both at home and abroad. is prac
ticslly unlimited. but the demand Is fo
civilized beef. He held that there ar,
thousands of cattle produced in tn
country, too many of them upon the val
liable lands of Illinois. which do not ne
) the producer even the value of the hide
and horns. Prime beef commends itself
=, creates a demand for itself. increase
consumption, and sustains the price, bu
the inferior grades of beef depresses no
only the whole beef market. but the con
sumner as well. There are three things il
the business that the csttlemen mos
thoroughly understand IN all their de
tails to make beef production financia
success: they are the breeding of the cat
tie. the feeding and the marketing.
NOTES.
| Mr.. 8. w. Heath. of Bowling, is secre
L a. \ 4 l.