STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 29 



REPORT OF E. A. RIEHL, DELEGATE TO THE MISSOURI 

 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. President: 



According to instructions, I left home on Monday evening, 

 Dec. 2d, and laid over in St. Louis until the next morning so as 

 to have a daylight trip and see the country through which we 

 passed. From St. Louis, west to Pacific, the land is rolling and 

 fertile, much of it laid out in lots for suburban residence pur- 

 poses. For some distance from Pacific the road passes through 

 the rich valley of the Merrimac, containing fine farms. Before 

 reaching and after crossing the Gasconade river the country 

 becomes rocky and rough, the prevailing timber being post-oak 

 and black-jack, no pine is seen anywhere on the line this side of 

 Lebanon. 



Shortly before reaching Lebanon we came to a better soil, aud 

 when Lebanon was reached we were agreeably surprised. The 

 town of about 2,500 inhabitants is situated on an elevated pla- 

 teau having a dark soil like our prairies. The town is well built 

 and looks prosperous. At the depot we found President Evans 

 and the local reception committee, who received and conducted 

 all comers to the homes of the citizens. Those who preferred 

 to stay at the hotel found their bills paid by the citizens when 

 they came to leave. 



The first day was devoted to decorating the hall, placing the 

 fruit in position and getting acquainted with each other. The 

 meeting was opened the evening of the first day and, though held 

 in the opera house, every seat was occupied, as was the case 

 every evening of the session. The local attendance was better 

 than at any Horticultural meeting I ever attended before. This 

 was owing partly to the character of the people and the fact that 

 the meeting had been well advertised, but I think mainly to the 

 program. The Mendelssohn Society were on hand and gave 

 chorusses, quartettes, double quartettes, vocal and instrumental 

 solos, which were given between the papers read. Your repre- 

 sentative was honored with the chairmanship of the committee 

 that examined the fruits and awarded the premiums. The fruit 

 shown was the finest I have ever seen, nearly all grown on the 

 Ozark range, on new land and young trees. Several new seed- 

 ling apples were shown, some of which promise to be valuable, 

 especially a seedling of the Yellow Belleflower, grown at Lex- 

 ington, Mo. 



Also a pear shown by Mr. Mulincrodt, of St. Charles, that 

 keeps longer than any other good pear we have. 



As elsewhere, the Ben Davis is the apple par excellence for 

 profit. There are a number of varieties that are promising, but 



