SUMMER MEETING. 71 



vicissitudes are reduced to their miQimiim iu this favored region, 

 Plantiog has continued with imitated activity, while the unchecked 

 growth of the trees in the interim has been utilized to improve their 

 shape, renew their strength and better fit them for future fruitfalness. 

 The visitation of the 13-year old locusts last year caused serious dam- 

 age, and in many orchards utter destruction of the very young trees, 

 but the injury from this incidental source has been almost wholly re- 

 paired already, and it is comforting thought that one of the many 

 enemies of our fruit trees has just entered upon a long term of quie- 

 scence. 



The Elberta is, by long odds, the leading peach, but this year is 

 not meeting the expectations of its friends, and is bearing very shyly. 

 Much attention has been given to the choice of sons in planting our 

 commerical peach orchards, iu order that they may produce closely 

 succeeding crops from the earilest to the latest varieties, and it is the 

 opinion of leading horticulturists that the actual shipping season for 

 merchantable peaches can, with proper selection, be made longer in 

 Howell county than in any other peach-growing district. The near- 

 ness to large distributing markets, permitting the picking of the fruit 

 in the best shipping condition, will be an evident advantage in this 

 direction. The matter of the provisions and preparations for handling 

 the fruit product of the county is sufficiently germain to my subject to 

 warrant me in stating that our fruit-growers appreciate the iruportance 

 of establishing and maintaining the highest possible reputation for 

 Howell county fruits, distinctively, in the great markets of the country, 

 and will, it is contemplated, unite in a county organization for that 

 purpose. The management of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis 

 R. R. is alert to the importance of placing Howell county fruit in its 

 best condition in all markets, and promises to furnish the fruit cars 

 and fruit trains necessary to that end. 



The high standard of excellence set up by this Society for the fruits 

 of our State will never be lowered by Howell county. Coming now to 

 other fruits than apples and peaches, the present actual development 

 of their culture calls for no considerable space in this paper, but it 

 should briefly mention their status and prospects. 



Several considerable orchards of pears have been planted, but the 

 fear of the mysterious and deadly 1)light which has invaded this, in 

 common with all other interior localities, has deterred many from at- 

 tempting to grow this favorite fruit. In fact, it may be said of this, as 

 of the other fruits not yet planted on a commercial scale, that neither 

 time nor capital have yet been available in Howell county to undertake 



