DisGussioji on Orcharding on the Plains. 201 



to aid in its extension westward onto the plains. It has been with deep feel- 

 ings of concern and anxiety that I have watched every feature developed, fa- 

 vorable or unfavorable, in its progress ; and it is from the records, dating 

 from the first effort in each county, and the annual reports of the progress of 

 the work therein, together with its results each year, that I am enabled to 

 present to you the present status of orcharding on the plains. 



DISCUSSION ON ORCHARDING ON THE PLAINS. 



The President — This paper of Mr. Brackett's — statements in which 

 would seem to settle the question as to whether orchards can be 

 grown on the great American deserts — is before you for discussion. 



Judge Newman, of Kansas — T. C Henry, of Abaline, at a horti- 

 cultural meeting in Kansas, read a paper, saying that tree culture 

 in the West could not be a success. He did not think the soil 

 adapted to it. The facts are, trees do grow in Kansas. 



Mr. 31asters, of Nebraska — I feel under obligations to say a 

 word. I am fortunate enough to be an inhabitant of Nebraska, and 

 have been for twenty-eight years. The possibilities have not been 

 overdrawn. I do not know just how far west fruit has been grown, 

 but trees have been grown successfully beyond the one hundredth 

 meridian. One person spoke of the soil not being adapted to the 

 trees. If that is so we must hunt trees adapted to the soil. That 

 has not been done, and it has been the source of a great many of 

 our failures, A man coming from the East wants an eastern apple. 

 He does not go to the nursery but buys of an agent, where he can 

 get any variety, and he gets what does not suit the place. 



The President — If you have no further remarks we will pass to 

 the subject of " Pear Culture in the Southwest," by Maj. S. H. 

 Nowlin. 



Maj. Noivlin, of Arkansas — Ladies and gentlemen, I suppose I 

 owe you an apology for not having a paper. It was my intention to 

 prepare one ; not that I knew anything about the subject, but that 

 I wanted to know. I intended to svrite to others, and by corres- 

 pondence find out what I could. As I did not do that, I can only 

 say what I do not know. I know there are many important points 

 in regard to pear culture. In our country there are not many or- 

 chards. Some have been successful and some have not, and among 



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