Winter Meeting. 183 



peaches for more than twenty years on the loess formation along the 

 Missouri river but they had some bad years and became discouraged and 

 thought that the Ozark land in south Missouri was the only place to grow 

 peaches. We abandoned growing peaches and moved to south Mis- 

 souri and lost sight of our own neighborhood. I was fortunately in- 

 terested in the establishment at Olden but after five years I found we 

 had crops as often in north Missouri as we had in Howell County. In 

 the past thirty years I have a very faint recollection of any injury to the 

 blossomi by frost. We are pretty sure of a peach crop if they come safely 

 to that period. Our greatest amount of injury comes from the late 

 winter colds. Our efforts in the last five years along the .Missouri river 

 have succeeded beyond expectation. We have had all varieties from 

 early to late on this loess formation and they compare well in quantity, 

 size, color and quality, with those grown in any other part of the country. 

 We are overlooking one of the important things in peach growing when 

 we overlook the soil on the Missouri river hills. We should take advan- 

 age of what we have for we have no better place than the loess soil along 

 the river bluffs for all kinds of fruit. 



THE PEACH BUSINESS OF KOSHKONONG. 



(J. W. Hitt's Sons, Koshkonong, Mo.) 



It was with great reluctance that we accepted your Secretary's invi- 

 tation to read a paper before this Society, for the reason that it seems 

 rather presumptuous on our part to address a body of men far more ex- 

 perienced in all matters pertaining to the culture of fruit. However, we 

 feel highly complimented and appreciate the courtesy with the utmost 

 gratitude. 



It m'ay be of interest to some to know how Koshkonong got its 

 name- It is said that a former official of the railroad named it after 

 Lake Koshkonong in Wisconsin, and a resident of Wisconsin defines it 

 as an Indian word meaning wild rice. But now, when the name is men- 

 tioned people think of peaches. We are sure there is no wild rice. If 

 there was anything -wild sown it was mostly oats. 



You are possibly all aware of the fact that the raising of peaches at 

 Koshkonong is practically in its infancy. We have been residents there 

 for only ten years, yet we saw the first orchards set and have seen every 

 year since an increase in the acreage until now there is in the neighbor- 

 hood of 5,000 acres, and almost entirely Elbertas. Anyone who under- 



