Winter Meeting. 295 



Gratified over the conquest achieved at the World's Fair from 

 llic Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas, it is with some degree of pride 

 that we present this subject at this time. Retracing our steps from the 

 summit to the valley we will endeavor to discuss the question assigned 

 us by our Secretary in the most practical way we can. 



The development of the fruit industry in the Ozarks has already 

 reached such proportions as place it properly among the successful 

 fruit sections of the country and its products have already taken their 

 fixed place in the markets of the world. While the recent short crops, 

 especially of our tree fruits, have a tendency to discourage — even to 

 cause some with pessimistic inclinations to become disheartened, we 

 believe that the possibilities of its development and the abundance 

 of its Horticultural products have not been realized. The future is to 

 see the fruit producing sections of the Ozarks yielding annually as 

 large crops of all the varieties adapted to its soils as are now produced 

 in the older states. You may ask upon what assurances we base our 

 faith ; we reply, on the success that has already been attained and the 

 multiplied advantages that are to come. True, there have been many 

 failures, but in our discouragement we must not lose sight of the 

 fact that in all this territory where all varieties of fruit have, been 

 planted that are adapted to the locality, we find where one man only 

 harvested fifty crates of strawberries per acre during the season ; an- 

 other man harvested seventy crates per acre, one day's picking. In 

 another locality one man only realizes one hundred dollars ($100.00) 

 per acre, while his neighbor receives three hundred per acre for a 

 single crop on the same kind of soil. 



In another section one man receives an average of sixty dollars 

 per acre from a twenty acre apple orchard for ten years in succession 

 while another did not realize twenty-five dollars per acre on a one hun- 

 dred and fifty acre orchard. Again in another section of the Ozarks, one 

 man sells three hundred dollars worth of Elberta peaches from one-half 

 acre for one crop, while another did not realize that much from five times 

 the land. 



While the territory of my subject is profuse with similar compari- 

 sons these are enough to assure us, and all others who may cast their 

 lot v/ith us, that in the Ozarks we are abundantly surrounded with the 

 natural elements of success ; awaiting the application of intelligent 

 selection of soils for what is desired to be planted ; of varieties suited 

 to the location ; the application of culture and methods best suitable 

 to the environment with Avhich we are surrounded. 



Space forbids my entering upon the discussion of what is the 

 best soil for this yariety, or that, or cultivation for the other, at this 



