242 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Lliu Uzark luouutaius of iSoutlieru Missouri, consisting of 2,oUU acres. 

 Another company has just been formed wliich lias purchased 5,000 

 acres near Lebanon, Mo., every acre of which will be planted with 

 apple trees. When the trees are all bearing it will be the largest 

 orchard in the world. Missouri has come to the fore as a fruit pro- 

 ducer. The Ben Davis is the popular apple in that State, and the 

 r),000-acre orchard alluded to will be planted with but two varie- 

 ties — the Ben Davis and Jonathan — fifty trees to the acre. This is 

 because these are reliable bearers in Missouri, adapted to the soil 

 and climate, and, therefore, xery productive. On account of bright- 

 ness of color they are also most ready of sale. This matter of color 

 is a very intiuential factor. In the markets of the large cities any 

 apple will sell "so it's red." A white, yellow or green apple, no 

 n)atter how much superior in (juality, will not sell as readily as a 

 Ben Davis, ^^'inesap or other red fruit. So, likewise, in regard to 

 pears, the KielTer, on account of its rich color, is the most salable 

 fruit during the holiday season, although of all the winter varieties 

 it is the most tasteless. Consumers of fruit in the cities, however, 

 are being educated in the matter of varieties, and the time is near 

 when the Ben Davis apple and the Kieifer p(^ar will be relegated to 

 the rear. Both have undoubtedly done more to demoralize and 

 degrade the fruit trade in the cities than anything else. 



THE MATTER OF FERTILIZATION. 



An acquaintance of mine purchased several adjoining tracts of 

 land, containing nearly 400 acres, on which he established a fruit 

 farm. The land had the proper exposure but the soil was thin. 

 He spent as much as $10,000 a year for fertilizers, intense cultiva- 

 tion was observed, and to-day the farm is one of the most pro- 

 ductive in the United States, yielding every year thousands of 

 bushels of apples, pears and peaches— the fruits principally grown. 

 Although ten miles from the nearest market, the business has 

 proved highly remunerative, the receipts in one year having been 

 as much as |20,000. And this brings us to the very weighty matter 

 of fertilization. Had not the owner spent large sums for manure 

 the tract would at this time, perhaps, be worth but little more than 

 $10 per acre. The lack of fertility of the soil is often the cause of 

 the failure of the fruit crop, and even certain diseases, such as 

 the peach yellows and blight, have been ascribed to this cause. How 

 many farmers think of fertilizing their orchards? Yet they will 

 haul out barnyard manure and spend, besides, large sums for artifi- 

 cial fertilizers for their grain crops, while neglecting their apple 

 orchards, which can be made to bring them more money than any 

 other crops that can be raised. Fruit trees require plant food, and 

 unless pro}jerly fed cannot hv expected to go on producing. 



