46 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT ON ORCHARDS. 



BY CHAS. PATTERSON, KIKKSVILLE, MO. 



As a general thing, I think ajjples made a liberal promise at the- 

 time of blooming, though I have heard some reports of old Ben Davis 

 trees not blooming as freely as usual. Alter the fall of the blossoms,, 

 and until the fruit is of considerable size, I believe there is always ap- 

 prehension of heavy reduction, which, therefore, can hardly be accept- 

 ed as very discouraging. As tar as I know we may have a fair crop 

 yet, though I see no reason to predict a very heavy one. 



But little damage to trees is perceivable yet, that can certainly be 

 referred to the past excessively hard winter. Some few trees in my 

 orchard and nursery were 'bark bursted," which will doubtless affect 

 them seriously in course of time, but fortunately it was only here and 

 there one, not confined to any particular varieties. It probably 

 occurred about the 18th of December, when the mercury suddenly- 

 went down to 12 degrees below zero, for which the trees were poorly 

 prepared by th^" previous warm and growing weather. 



Of cherries we again have every promise of a very full crop, as we 

 had last year. However, this is not an unusual thing, but should serve 

 to stimulate more liberal planting, as there is scarcely any fruit to sup- 

 ply the home markets in this part of the State, however abundant the 

 "Crop may be. 



I look for the time when native plums will be proved equally safe 

 to plant, but have to base my hopes on what I learn from a distance,, 

 rather than numerous instances around me, because so very few trees 

 have been planted. 



Of peaches I am constrained to take a far less hopeful view. These 

 several hard winters in succession have played mournful havoc with 

 all the trees in this section, and the only estimate that seems safe, is 

 that they might as well all be dead. Still, If I had known the extent 

 of the damage in time, and had had the ground as available as it was 

 when I planted, I should have risked planting last spring again, as we 

 will surely have a succession of years sometime that will make them 

 as successful as they once were. 



Grapes are fairly promising at this time, but may disappoint us- 

 before ripening the fruit, as they have done before in localities con- 



