COUNTY REPORTS. 295 



timber having grown up inside of the past 60 years. Consequently, 

 the trees are not very large yet, but there is sufficient timber for fencing 

 and building purposes ; in many places there are spots of smaller or 

 larger size where but little timber stands, which takes but little work 

 to clear it. Yours truly, 



Sam'l Kaufman. 



THE PLATTE PURCHASE AS xi FRUIT COU^JTRY. 



What is known as the Platte Purchase in Missouri is that portion 

 of the northwest part of the State comprising the counties of Atchison, 

 Nodaway, Andrew, Holt, Buchanan and Platte. For richness of soil, 

 natural drainage, excellent timber, and living streams of pure water, it 

 is unexcelled by any tract of country of equal extent in the United 

 States. Its principal streams, commencing on the east, are the Platte, 

 One Hundred and Two, Nodaway, Tarkio and Nishnabotna rivers. 

 Each of these streams have their sources in the State of Iowa, and 

 running from north to south, empty into the Missouri river at various 

 points along the western line. 



The Platte, with its principal tributary, the One Hundred and Two, 

 runs fall length along the eastern part, varying from five to twelve 

 miles apart until they form a junction southeast of St. Joseph. These 

 streams, with their numerous tributaries of living water running 

 through nearly every square mile of land, form a natural drainage 

 seldom found in any portion of the west outside of mountain districts. 



The importance of this section of the State becomes still more 

 apparent to the practical horticulturist when we consider that in no 

 portion of it is there what is known as hard-pan under the soil, to 

 prevent the roots of trees from penetrating deep into the earth. This 

 is more especially the case in large portions of the Missouri bluff 

 lands, extending for several miles back from the river bottoms, where 

 the soil is estimated to average fifty feet in depth ; also in the timber 

 belts along the many streams. Even the prairie lands, owing to the 

 absence of hard-pan, excellent natural drainage, together with unusual 

 depth of alluvial soil, compare favorably with the best fruit lands in 

 other portions of the Western states. 



All kinds of fruit except the peach that grow in this latitude, do 

 well. The apple, which is the most important of the tree-bearing fruits, 

 grows to perfection in size, color and flavor, and with a regularity of 

 crops seldom found in any other portion of the United States. 



