230 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Siiiall Fruit. 



By G. W. Fry, Dunlap, Mo. 



The American people have a tendency to view everything brought 

 to their notice, both new and old, in a practical and profitable light. 



This country has been overrun with "fakirs" in every line of trade. 

 The farmer has had trouble in raising fruit-trees on account of insects, 

 l>light, etc. So here comes a smoothe-tongued fellow with " Russian 

 borer-proof trees" at $6 per dozen. These trees would be cheap 

 enough if they were what is claimed for them, but they are not borer- 

 proof, and the same varieties can be bought of our local nurserymen 

 for 10 cents each. Since our common varieties of plum so often fail, 

 tree-agents, with fruit in glass, sell the Weaver and the Marianna, both 

 <5urculio-proof, at $6 to $12 per dozen, and cheap enough if any such 

 thing had ever been propagated. These trees 25 cents at home. But 

 the good Lord has not seen fit to favor us with trees, shrubs or flowers 

 that will grow and produce bloom and fruit without proper attention 

 from us. The list is not complete, so we have agents offericg small 

 fruits with wonderful records of production, and if these do not catch 

 us they have some ever-bearing varieties that will serve us a whole sea- 

 son, and they sell them at a fabulous price. It is then that some vari- 

 eties do make a wonderful yield under favorable circumstances and 

 high culture in the hands of experts; but the same varieties in the 

 Lands of the farmer or ordinary gardener are no better than older and 

 ■what we call common sorts. It is not our purpose to decry new trees, 

 plants or shrubs, as we are testing them each year, but we find that 

 nothing grown on the farm is more susceptible to climatic conditions 

 than email fruits. 



Again, the most popular and profitable apple varieties of the East- 

 ern States are a signal failure here in North Missouri for the same 

 reason. To save the labor of years and waste of money, we should 

 plant only the varieties known to thrive in our soil and climate, the 

 varieties which are constantly being tested by the State Horticultural 

 Society. Here is where the Association can do some valuable mission- 

 ary work, by issuing a bulletin of tested hardy shrubs and vines. 



As to the profitable part of small-fruit culture, there are three 

 things that must or ought to appear, and we name them in their proper 

 order: health, happiness, dollars. We should for profit or other uses 

 plant the varieties adapted to our soil and climate. • In the proper, 

 intelligent culture of these plants we get our first installment of 

 health, and if we study their habits and development, we are ele- 

 vated, and our minds ran on a higher plane. Here we have one ele- 



