266 State Horticidtural Society. 



Boonville, Mo., October 5, 1906. 



L. A. Goodman, Esq., Secretary State Horticultural Association, 

 Kansas City, Mo. : 



Dear Sir — I am authorized by the Central Missouri Horticul- 

 tural Association to extend to the State Horticultural Association 

 a most cordial invitation to hold its mid-winter meeting in our city. 



Very respectfully, 

 Samuel W. Ravenel, Chairman. 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Kansas City, Mo., December 1, 1906. 



The year 1906 will long be remembered by all fruit growers of 

 our State and in all Missouri Valley. Prospects in the spring were 

 never better until the spring frosts killed most of the apple and 

 peach bloom in the low land. Even after this mishap the prospect 

 was still good, and the dry weather following the blooming period, 

 left little to be desired in the way of setting fruit and in the scar- 

 city of insects. All during the summer the conditions were favor- 

 able to the growing crop. But, alas! for the grower, there is no 

 certainty of results until the grower gets the money in his pockets. 

 In July rains began and continued for nearly two months. During 

 August there were but seven days without rain. Just at the time 

 we expected dry and favorable weather the rains were so continuous 

 and the weather so warm and sultry that the black rot began on 

 the peaches and the bitter rot on apple until one-third to one-half 

 of the crop was injured. During the Elberta season we had rain 

 every day, and thousands of bushels rotted on the ground and on 

 the trees, while the fruit gathered did not carry well to its destina- 

 tion, even in refrigerator cars. We lost in our own orchards enough 

 peaches to pay for gathering and packing the whole crop. 



The apple crop turned out as well as we expected in quantity, 

 but not in quality. Twice as many went to the evaporators or 

 cider mills as we expected in the beginning. Bitter rot played 

 havoc in many orchards. Rust and mildew destroyed their thou- 

 sands. Smoky fungus and other diseases caused thousands more of 

 barrels to be so badly blotched that they would not make anything 

 but No. 2. Our estimate of 60 per cent, for a crop turned out to 

 be correct, in spite of the attempt of the buyers to make it more 

 than a 100 per cent., or 200 per cent., even. 



