SUMMER MEETING AT CHILLICOTHE. 73 



BATES COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BuTLKR, Mo., June G, 1892. 

 "To the Missouri State Hoi ticuUural Society — GreetitKj : 



The Bates County Horticultural Society has to report a state of dormancy — 

 ■very little work having been done by the Society in the past year; but we are 

 ready to make up whenever we are needed to carry on the good work in the State. 

 The balance of this year and next till the close of the World's Fair should be a season 

 of active work on the pait of every horticulturist of Missouri, in order that our 

 great State uiay make an exhibit of horticultural products which will do credit to 

 the State, and be a source of pride to every true Missourian. The local societies 

 must do a great part of this work, and a few devoted men and women must do the 

 principal part of the work of each and every local society ; so that in any given 

 locality it devolves on a few to say whether their county will come to the front in 

 horticultural matters, or whether it will be in the back-ground. So let us all wake 

 up, and if we fail we hope the officers of the State Society will give us such a shak- 

 ing up that we may be brought to life and activity. 



Kespectfully submitted. 



Hknry Speer, Secretary. 



LIVINGSTON COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Cavendish, Mo., June 6, 1892. 

 Mr. ]j. a. Goodman : 



Sir — I will briefly give you summaryof theconditior and prospects of horticul- 

 tural products. Since your last meeting our county society has held meetings 

 monthly except February, when it was postponed on account of the meeting of the 

 State Board of Agriculture here. We have usually had a small attendance, partly 

 on account of the bad roads, and partly because there is agenerarapalthy in the 

 part of fruitg-rowers trying to learn more on the subject. We tried the experi- 

 ment of holding meetings in diflerent parts of the county, but found that there 

 was no better attendance than when the meetings were all held at one place. 



There has been a large acreage of fruit trees set out this spring ; we are get- 

 ting a good many orchards in the county of from 10 to 100 acres. If they are taken 

 care of, the , income from fruit, especially apples, will soon equal that from any 

 other prodnct. 



The prospects for fruit for the present year are not very encouraging. There 

 are very few peaches. The apple trees were very full of bloom, but the cold, wet 

 wpather has badly injured the crop, and what is left is being damaged by the scab. 

 A high wind seemed to damage the leaves of the apple trees soon after leafing 

 out. 



Some of the subjects discussed in our society have been : Is there any dan- 

 ger of over-production of apples ? Benefits of a Horticultural Society ; Flowers ; 

 App'es ; Pears; Raspberries; Strawberries; Cabbage: Tomatoes; A history of 

 some of the most profitable orchards in the county ; Reasons why some are unsuc- 

 -cessful in fruit-growing ; Raising sweet apples to make pork instead of corn ; 

 €old storage, etc. 



The society has advised those contemplating setting fruit-trees to buy of 

 their local nurserymen, and go and get the trees themselves when practicable. The 

 pestiferous tree-peddler is still doing a good deal of dirty work. We do not put 

 them all together, but there are some who wouldn't have a particle of conscience 

 if it was boiled down. 



