418 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in this connection — and now the State will soon be growing peaches- 

 again with its old time energy. At least the growing trees promise 

 well. The Missouri Horticultural Society sends out a report under date 

 of August 22d, in which it announces that the peach trees are in very 

 poor condition. In the northern half of the State one-half of the trees- 

 are reported dead, and the other half as badly injured. In the south- 

 ern part of the State, however, the crop is good. 



The unfortunate experience which many of our peach growers have 

 had will doubtless cause them, or many of them, to shun peach grow- 

 ing in the future. But we assume our old position in such matters 

 which is this: Success does not invariably attend any branch of hor- 

 ticulture or other farm pursuit. This is a world of cloud as well as of 

 sunshine. Cholera kills our hogs ; disease thins our herds of cattle ; 

 storms and grasshoppers destroy our crops, and winters kill our trees.^ 

 But we average pretty well in any branch of farm industry, that is as 

 well in one, as a rule, as we do in another. The growing of fruits is in 

 Its infancy, but in this section of the country we have overcome some 

 of the formidable difficulties, but there are difficulties yet to be over- 

 come. But we shall succeed. Our western people are not made of 

 stuff that permits difficulties to thwart it. We shall yet be able to get 

 rid of everything but hardy varieties, and every branch of fruit culture- 

 will be a paying industry. — Western RuraU 



WILD GOOSE PLUM. 



The general failure of this plum at the East (and elsewhere) is its- 

 want of productiveness. A. H. Gaston of Illinois, writes to the Prairie 

 Farmer that he has discovered that the flower is imperfect, and needs 

 fertilizing by some other wild variety growing near it. He sold a tree 

 to a purchaser 15 years ago, who set it in an open space in a wild plum 

 thicket. It has borne good crops for ten successive years, and this 

 year produced 200 quarts (six bushels), which sold for ten cents a quart, 

 or 120 for the crop. We give this statement for what it is worth, and 

 if there is no error about it, it will be worth much. Although the wild 

 goose plum is not of high quality, its very handsome appearance, and: 

 ripening, as it does at the North, early in August, render it a desirable 

 market sort if heavy crops can be had from the tree. — Country Oen- 

 tleman. 



THE ROBINSON PLUM. 



The Bobinson plum is one of the most promising of the new 

 varieties now before tte public. It is a seedling originated in Putnam 

 county, Ind., from seed brought by Mr, Picket from North Carolina 



