288 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Churches of all denominations and schools, good railroad facilities 

 and everything needed for the welfare and prosperity of the people. 

 I look for this to be one of the garden spots of the great State of 

 Missouri, and I hope that parties seeking homes, who may chance to 

 read this article, will take time to examine our soil while passing 

 through our State. I have no land to sell, am in no real-estate busi- 

 ness, but will take pleasure in answering any letters of inquiry. 



Respectfully, 



H. SCHNELL, ' 



Fruit and Market Garden. 



MADISON COUNTY. 



Madison county is situated 104 miles south of St. Louis and 30 miles 

 west of the Mississippi river. Its surface is rough and broken with 

 granite and porphyry hills, some of these rising 700 feet above level 

 of St. Francois river. On the south the Ozark mountains encircle the 

 rich valleys and bottom lands, very productive of corn, wheat, oats, 

 barley and grasses. The hilly and rolling lands, besides cereals and 

 grasses, are eminently adapted to fruit-growing and vineyards. The 

 soil along streams, mostly sandy loam, is as productive as any. Cattle- 

 raising and sheep husbandry prove very remunerative. The county 

 is very well watered. The Big St. Francis river on the west. Castor 

 river on the east extend through it, as well as their numerous tributa- 

 ries, which meander it. Springs of clear and limpid water are found 

 everywhere, besides innumerable creeks. No prairie, but fine timber 

 — yellow pine, walnut, oaks, etc. But few spots of same size contain 

 such variety of minerals — silver, nickel, copper, bismuth, antimony, 

 zinc, lead, manganese, iron, arsenic and cobalt are found. Fortunes have 

 been made, and new finds here and there come to light to reward the 

 industrious hand. Mine La Motte Lead company, worked as early as 

 1722, has produced annually over 1,000,000 pounds of lead, and our 

 five-cent pieces are made from the nickel extracted therefrom. Kaolin^ 

 fire-clay, sandstone, limestone, grind and burrstone, yellow and red 

 ochre, sulphur, silex, fluor and spar and marble abound. But the best 

 of all in this county seems to be the remarkable adaptability to grow- 

 ing pears, apples and grapes, besides every kind of small fruit. Cher- 

 ries and quinces are equally at home. 



The woods are festooned with garlands of wild grapes. All kinds 

 of grapes do well without protection. The pear-trees bear abundantly 

 two years after setting, and apples never miss. Good fruit land can 



