282 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Our state is getting to be a wonder to the eastern people in the 

 amount of fruit it produces, and it is going to be a still greater wonder* 

 Not one-tenth of the fruit is grown that will be in the future. The 

 great possibilities of our State are just beginning to be known. I be- 

 lieve that I am right when I say that our State will be the greatest 

 fruit producing State in the union. I believe it possesses the soil and 

 the climate for this very end. 



The Ozark mountains and the southern slopes are to be a vast 

 field for the orcbardist. There we have the mild climate, the heighth 

 above the sea, the protection of the pine trees and the higher points of 

 the mountains from the north winds. The protection of the woods 

 from the southwest " hot winds ;" the best of water, the best of soil, 

 the best of fruits, and consequently the best of health. The central 

 has the river bluffs, the fine prairies, the rich bottoms, plenty of 

 timber, plenty of prairie, to satisfy the most exacting agriculturist. 



Here the apple is a success and the peculiar limestone formation 

 gives us the brightest colors to our fruits. The northern has much of 

 the warm soil and the climate just suited to produce many of those 

 northern apples that are so justly celebrated all over the world. The 

 small fruits also are a grand success all over the State, and it is a pity 

 that we cannot know what the worth of this is, as well as the wheat 

 or corn crop. I believe it is the duty of our State Board to help us in 

 this and let us call on them for it. They are anxious to have all our 

 resources known and they will help us. 



The value of the apple crop alone in one of our counties, that of 

 Bates county, will amount to over ^1,000,000 this year. The apple crop 

 of our State is worth as much as our wheat or corn crop this past year, 

 and the whole crop of fruit would amount to much more. Estimates 

 are not worth much, but when based upon some fact and reports that 

 we are sure of, it comes very near the truth. 



OUR COUNTY SOCIETIES. 



Since our last meeting we have two or three new societies, and 

 good ones, too. 



The Lalayette county society, the Montgomery county society; 

 both live and flourishing societies. Already they are being heard 

 throughout the press, and a valuable help will they be to their mem- 

 bers and the State at large. 



When we can have fifty societies scattered over our State, all 

 working in unison and to the same end, all helping one another and 

 the State society, and the State society helping them, working mutu- 



