256 State Horticultural Society. 



The orchard interest is on the increase and many orchards will be 

 planted in the near fntnre. 



Holt, Clay County, Missouri, July 30, 1899. 

 L. A. Goodman: 



Dear Sir :• — I do not think there is more than five per cent of a 

 crop of winter apples in ten miles of this point ; not enough to cut any 

 figure in the market. Ben Davis is ahead, with "Winesap and Mis- 

 souri Pippin next. Fall apples a little better. Trees not hurt on good 

 well drained land — not hurt by last winter's cold. On land not well 

 drained, badly killed, and more so where not well air drained, l^o 

 peaches, pears or cherries; but few plums. 



Hardy grapes, good ; strawberries half a crop ; blackberries about 

 the same. Raspberries but few. All kinds of fruit trees making fine 

 growth. I find that from apple trees that have been well 

 cultivated the apples are not falling near so l)ad as from 

 trees not cultivated; neither is the codling moth near so bad. 

 While there is quite a lot of yellow-necked caterpillars 

 where my trees are not cultivated, there are none where well cultivated. 

 I give good and thorough cultivation, clean up all trash under trees, 

 burn or plow under early in spring, hoe up surface under trees. I 

 think such treatment for a nmnber of years will beat spraying as fol- 

 lowed by most people. There has been but little spraying done in this 

 locality and that has not been very satisfactory. I think T will be with 

 you at Princeton this winter if health permits. 



I am fraternally yours, 



G. T. Odor. 



Glasgow, Howard County, Mo., July 23, 1899. 

 Mr. L. A. Goodman, Westport, Mo.: 



Dear Sir: — I have just come in from a tour among my apple 

 trees and I send you by mail a sample of three Winesaps and three 

 Ben Davis. The bulk of my fruit is just like this with scarcely a per- 

 fect apple among 600 twelve-year-old trees. All bloomed full except 

 Huntsman. Some trees of Ben Davis have a fair crop, but all knotty 

 and scabby, but most of the scab is on the Winesap and Roman Beauty. 

 Now what causes the black spot on the Ben Davis? Is this not the work 

 of the plum gouger? This has been a hard year on my few strawberries, 

 owing mostly to the hail storm about beginning of ripening and too much 



