200 Mississippi Valley Horticullural Society. 



velopment and peculiar fitness of the climate for the finishing up and matur- 

 ing of the apple especially. 



At this fair a display was made of apples grown at Great Bend, in Barton 

 county, the first born fruit of that remote point on the plains. The collect- 

 ion included the Fameuse, Milam, Wagener, Red Winter Pearmain, Willow 

 Twig, Rawle's Jenet, Missouri Pippin, Wine, Pennsylvania Redstreak, Ben 

 Davis and Kaighn's Spitzenberg. These were well grown and remarkable 

 for perfection in form and beauty of color. They possessed a firmness in 

 flesh seldom found in fruit of so warm a latitude. 



In conclusion : It is an established fact, that orcharding in quite a large 

 portion of the plains, as accepted in 1860, has become a successful industry^ 

 affording profitable returns, and especially is this true of the eastern portion 

 of Kansas and Nebraska. 



The rapidity of its progress in area, the superior character and extent of 

 the product, have surprised the most hopeful enthusiast The first planting 

 in Kansas, so far as we have been able to trace, outside of the Indian missions 

 — some of which date back to 1837 — was made in the spring of ISoo, by T. 

 M. Pierson and Judge Wakefield, in Douglas county. The total of these 

 plantings did not exceed 300 apple trees. To-day we have the following sta- 

 tistics bearing upon the progress of development through the short period 

 of twenty-eight years. Of apple trees there are under successful manage- 

 ment 6,939,062; of pears, 279,679 ; of peach, 10,668,624; of plum, 584,990; of 

 cherry, 1,629,295; or a grand total of trees in orchard form of 20,071,740. 



These statistics, Mr. President, are to be accredited to the authority of our 

 State Board of Agriculture. 



That the product of a large proportion of this immense showing is not co- 

 equal in magnitude is clearlj' traceable to the following two causes, and not 

 directly to the soil or climate : 



1. The ignorance of planters as to the adaptability of varieties, being gov- 

 erned largely by the prejudices formed in the more eastern States. 



2. That nine-tenths of the total number of trees, and particularly of apple, 

 have not yet reached an established bearing age, having been planted since 

 1877, being about the time of a determination through experience of a pro- 

 ductive list of varieties for the State. 



This industry is being rapidly pushed (jut unto the more western plains 

 each year, and each year brings the intelligence of faithful work being re- 

 warded with success. 



I can well remember when the public were as incredulous as to the adapt- 

 ability of the eastern portions of the State to fruit growing as it ever has 

 been with reference to the more western plains. But it may be safely calcu- 

 lated that where forest trees can be as successfully grown as they now are on 

 the greater portion of the "western prairies," that the intelligent planter will 

 find a successful method for growing his orchards. 



It has been my jn-ivilcge to be i)romincntly connocted with this industry 

 in Kansas from the first efforts, which were made in the eastern counties, and 



