Winter Meeting. 1257 



rain. My blackberry crop from two and a half acres was about thirty 

 cases, and a neighbor whom I sold the plants, all Snyder, got over one 

 hundred cases from three-fourths of an acre. Mine were badlv winter 

 killed and can't explain why. My 250 to 300 pear I have deserted en- 

 tirely. Everything blighted more or less. Bartlett, Seickel, Kiett'er, 

 Duchess and Garber. It is really discouraging and it seems as if fungus 

 and other diseases and insects are going to overcome us. I did not do 

 any spraying this year and doubt if it would have done any good, owing 

 to so much rain. Even the onion I will have to stop growing on ac- 

 count of the onion thrip. They come about July 1 and stay till fall. 

 I make quite a little out of the \\dnter onions early in spring to sell 

 with lettuce but the thrip just sucks them to death. I have tried Paris 

 green and kerosene emulsion and am now trying Pyrethrum powder. 

 Verily the way of the horticulturist is not strewn with roses. 



I notice my peach trees I headed back when young growth began to 

 show are far ahead of the earlv cut back, lost some of the latter. 



H. SCHNELL. 



Jefferson County, 

 Scheve, Mo. 

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



Dear Sir:- — The horticultural reports have been received from your 

 office. I am very thankful for these favors, as I am interested in the 

 work the advancement of which your society is so earnestly and suc- 

 cessfully advocating. I hojDe to be a member of your society before 

 asking further favors from it. I regret that our county is so indiffer- 

 ent to the interests of horticulture. We are admirably situated here 

 for fruit growing and certainly share in the reputation of southeast 

 ^lissouri for the production of fine fruits. I have been i-aised on this 

 farm; my father settled here in 1846 and planted his first orchard in 

 1850, some of the trees of which are yet bearing. I can truthfully 

 say that no farm in this vicinity ever produced more value per acre one 

 year with another than our O'rchards. Of recent years T have made 

 fruit my specialty, and during the past three yeai's from an apple orch- 

 ard of 300 trees set out in 1887 have marketed good crops and have 

 proved to my neighbors that even a small orcliard is indispensable 

 if we are to keep even, financially. My peaches have done 

 well the past two years and at this time are in good condition. 

 ^Iv produce is all hauled to St. Louis on wagon. T do my own selling. 

 Apples usually to packers, peaches usually in a small or retail way: in 

 1895 I hauled 34 wagon loads of apples, selling at prices ranging from 

 27-| cents per bushel in September to $1.20 in February, '96; this latter 



H— 17 



