SUMMER MEETING AT CHILLICOTHE. 65 



houaewives in Missouri studying up and reporting new ways of serving fruits, sa 

 as to induce a greater consumption of fruit, and hence, improve the market. I 

 know that if all the ladies in Missouri knew how to make the fine apple-sauce out 

 of the " Maiden's Blush " that Mrs. Judge J. P. Strother, of Marshall, Missouri, 

 makes, the Maiden's Blush apple would be in great demand, and hence, bring good 

 prices and furnish the money to pay for gathering and marketing the winter apples. 

 This good lady begins making her splendid apple-sauce from green apples in June, 

 and continues until all their winter apples are gone, but she says the Maiden's 

 Blush makes much the best sauce. It is inexpensive, and can be eaten with or 

 without cream. She makes many other nice dishes from this apple. 



I have just learned that there are some pear-trees in northern part of this 

 county that have borne good crops each year for 50 years, and of one Seckel pear- 

 tree near Blue Lick, Saline county, that has borne a good crop each year for the 

 past 15 years. 



The appleH from five Ben Davis trees at Blue Lick sold in 1890 for f 55, and in 

 1891 for $40 ; these trees are now eight years old. 



I have made arrangements with Dr. Britt, of Clinton, O. A. Crandall, R. A. 

 Blair and F. A. Sampson of this place, and C. C. Bell, of Boonvilie, to all go with 

 me to Blue Lick Springs in latter part of June or early July, and spend a day or 

 two examining the geological formation, etc. I am very anxious to have you in the 

 party. Four of these men are geologists, and you and Mr. Bell are certainly at the 

 top in your respective lines. We expect to make a general survey of that locality 

 and have a good time. 



I desire to become a member of your Society, and to that end enclose you $1. 

 which I believe is the annual dues. 



Please call on me whenever you come to Sedalia. 



Tours truly, H. Strother. 



THEN AND NOW. 



Eds. Democrat— Eight years ago last December the writer moved onto what 

 we have since named the Gem City Fruit Farm, and now I will endeavor to give 

 your readers some of my experience as a fruit-grower : 



I purchased 40 acres of land one mile west of the city of Nevada. The land 

 had been covered with timber, and about half of it had been cleared and cultivated; 

 the balance had quite a thick young growth of timber and brush, and all the ad- 

 joining land was covered with timber until you reached the city. I came from 

 Nebraska to Missouri, and had never been in the woods as a farmer, so your read- 

 ers may imagine how it would naturally appear to me. The place had a small box 

 house, log stable and about 200 apple and peach-trees. There was nothing that 

 presented a very inviting appearance except its beautiful location on a high eleva- 

 tion on a main traveled road to the the city, and a number of line apple-trees that 

 had been loaded with Ben Davis apples. 



I moved from Nebraska with a team, and arrived at our destination about the 

 middle of December, 1SS3, drove up to our future home a little after dark ; the last 

 half hour had been traveled after dark, and most all of the way through timber. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I had come to Nevada the previous September and made the 

 purchase and returned to Nebraska for my family. I was much elated over my 

 purchase, and gave glowing descriptions of it to my family and others ; told them 

 of the beautiful Gem City of the Southwest, of the fine home I had bought, of the 

 nice beautiful location, the shade-trees surrounding it, the mansion. Now what 



