274 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



stoue, with a white, fine soil — soil from one to four feet deep, with a 

 natural under-drain, with very little exception. 



Crops. — Corn varies from 8 to 40 bushels to acre; oats 15 to 40; 

 wheat S to 20; grass one to three tons per acre. All the grasses do 

 well here for pasture. Vegetables all do well, and will grow large 

 crops, with plenty of manure. 



Fruit is at home here, grows to large size and holds fine flavor. 

 Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries never fail. Gooseberries 

 and currants are not so sure. The grape could be grown profitably if 

 properly cared for, as the woods are full of wild ones and seldom fail. 

 Plums are almost certain with some varieties. Peaches about two 

 out of three years. Cherries have been regular bearers the last few 

 years; the trees are failing and look sick. Pears, some old trees bear 

 very regularly, but as a rule they blight and die after a few crops. 



Apples are the main fruit crop here, and are being planted in 

 much larger orchards than in former years. The past five years have 

 shown a wonderful gain ; numerous orchards of from oUO to 2000 trees 

 have been planted, and the next five years will show a hundred-fold 

 over the past. The fruit-growers are taking advantage of our cheap 

 lands, and in a few years there will not be any land at five and ten 

 dollars for unimproved and ten and twenty dollars for improved. Al- 

 ready these nice orchards of five and six years' growth cannot be 

 bought for twenty-five and fifty dollars an acre, because a young bear- 

 ing orchard is next thing to a national bank. 



Any person desiring any information about this county will have 

 only to address a letter, stating what information is wanted, to any of 

 the postofiQces, and you will get an answer. 



Some might overrate, while others would underrate. No person 

 should sell their old home and go to a new country before they look 

 at it and see how the crops of everything look. Some people cannot 

 bear the rocks and hills, stumps and grubs, while others do not want 

 the broad prairies. G. G. James. 



Exeter, Mo. 



ANOTHER REPORT. 



Horticulture is yet in its infancy, but is beginning to take vigorous 

 root at many points along the line of railroad. The entire county, but 

 especially the more broken part, is admirably adapted to the growth of 

 all kinds of fruit, large and small, excepting, possibly, the currant. 

 The crop of 1892, like the rest of the State, is short, but not to so 

 great an extent. 



The principal centers of the fruit industry are Purdy, Exeter and 

 Seligman. Orchards and plantations of small fruit are being put out 



