THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE 



ROAD. 



Runs northeast throiioh the state : startiua' at Kansas Citv, throueh 

 Jackson countv and crossing the Missoui'i river at Sibley, ^here overhang 

 the river those great Missouri river bluffs, rich in all kinds of tree groTvth 

 material, and hence in orchard growth as well. Then crossins; Eav, 

 Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Adah*, Knox, Scotland and Clark coun- 

 ties, it also passes through thousands of acres of good fruit lands. Many 

 of these lands are more valuable for the production of some of the 

 northern fruits than is the southern pai*t of the state and tiiere is needed 

 only study to know the suital^leness of the soil and subsoil for certain 

 fruits, like the cheny, that persons to make much money in gTOwing 

 them. This northeast comer is also specially adapted to the growth of 

 certain appl^ like the Jonathan and Grimes Golden, and money is to be 

 made in growing them. 



From a few thousand of ban-els of apples the production has grown 

 and grown imtil now we see that Missoui'i often stands first in the quan- 

 tity, quality and value of her apple crop. The development has been 

 a gradual and uniform one, that has made the state known all over the 

 coimtry as the "Fruit State of the West" Pears, cherries, plums, 

 strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes — who shall number the 

 bushels, or crates, or boxes of all these fruits that have been put on the 

 market, to say nothing of the quantity used at home I In 1S97 the 

 apple crop was worth $12,000,000, the peach crop $3,500,000, pears, 

 cherries, plimis and grapes $1,500,000, and the berries $2,500,000 

 more, making the value of our fruit crop worth $20,000,000. 



If anv o'old mines or silver mines, or lead or zinc mines, or coal 

 mines should have such a vearlv return, the world would go crazv over 

 the speculation. And yet right here, quietly and sui-ely, the returns 

 come to us and nothing more is said. I could give you htmdreds of in- 

 stances where the fruit crop paid more than the farm was worth — 

 sometimes $60, $S0, $100, $150 or even $200 ]>er acre. 



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