216 State Horticultural Society. 



in south Missouri only in a small way. Most every one in starting a 

 1 fcw place will set out a few trees, but orchards exclusively of cherries 

 are few and far between. There seems to be only two varieties that 

 are worth planting in this locality — the Early Kichmond and English 

 Morello. The Montmorency, it is said, does well, but only a few have 

 ever fruited it. 



The sweet cherries are not worth planting here, as they are very 

 tender in the bud, and possibly one year in ten they may not be killed. 

 If they are not killed in the winter or early spring, when they begin to 

 ripen, the rains will crack the fruit and the birds destroy the crop. 

 The curculio, the same that stings the peach, is very destructive here 

 to the cherry. 



There is no question but cherries will pay well in south Missouri 

 if there was any certainty of a crop. The Early Richmond comes in be- 

 fore strawberries are gone and we have the whole southern country for 

 a market. Three years ago I shipped Early Richmond to Memphis, 

 some of which sold as high as $3.50 per crate. 



Of course there is big money in this, but I have not sold a cherry 

 since. JSTow there may be some sheltered places in south Missouri 

 where the climatic changes are not so sudden, that cherries may be 

 grown with profit. To those living in such favored places I would say 

 plant cherries. But after thirteen ^-ears of experience and observa- 

 tion in the vicinity of Springfield, I would say it would be rather haz- 

 ardous to plant orchards of cherries for commercial purposes unless we 

 could have assurance that the climate and seasons would change for the 

 better. 



DISCUSSION, 



Maj. Holsinger. — I have several thousand cherries in bearing and 

 liave made more monev from the cherrv than from anv other fruit. 

 I favor the Montmorencv and if I had to forego anv kind it would not 

 be the Wra<>'2:. T think the Wraffs; is bettor than the Earlv Richmond. 

 For four kinds I would take Early Richmond, Montmorency, English 



