182 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



very lands suitable for tree-growth, and for the development of good,, 

 sound, well-colored, juicy and perfect fruit. They contain all the ele- 

 ments needed, ae, a rich surface soil ; porous sub-soil, containing frag- 

 ments of disintegrated lime-rock, iron and marl ; a needful elevation, 

 and by that a natural drainage to promote a healthy tree-growth. Your 

 hills are rich from the foot to top in building materials, fuels and prec- 

 ious metals. Look at the mountains of iron-ore, lead and zinc-ore, and 

 consider the find of gold in the hills of St. Charles county of late. 

 And why are these hilly lands of your State so highly favored for the 

 growth of fruit f They are located in a State blessed with a temperate 

 clime. What would Missouri's hills be without the natural helpers, as* 

 the winter's snow, spring and fall rain and summer showers, and warm- 

 ing rays of the sun, ameliorated by the wind's current ? Your hills af- 

 ford a healthy location fjr miQ and bea^t, aud for vegetation. The 

 swift currents running alongside carry off with them the cold blast and 

 prevent Jack Frost from doing damages in early fall and late spring ;^ 

 carry off the poisonous vapors, injurious to animal life and botanical 

 health; the cause for development and growth of injurious fungi to 

 plant life, and to malarial fevers to animal life. 



On such hills and hilliNides, dales and plateaus are raised such fruit 

 as you see spread out before your eyes on these table8,'fruit that made 

 a lasting imprint upon the mind of the thousand of visitors at the Col- 

 umbian fair in Chicago, coming from all parts of the world. 



Such an exhibit of fruit, as was shown at the Exposition in St.. 

 Louis in 1895, and looked upon and examined by the ten thousand 

 visitors daily for 40 days, made a wonderful and lasting impression upon 

 the memoiy of every visitor. And these fiuit wonders were the pro- 

 ducts of your Missouri hills. Cast your eye over these tables and 

 behold that kingly Ben Davis, he originated not more then twenty 

 miles south from here, down on the hills in Howard county; and that 

 ros5 -cheeked pale-faced Huntsman favorite, his origin is in another 

 hilly Missouri river county over in Lafayette county. 



And now I should think this should safisfy every mind of the 

 capability of your Missouri hills as suitable for frnit-growing. 



But I do not want to be understood that all Missouri hills are of 

 the kind as described above, for there is no rule without exception. 



There may be hills in your State — which are not fit for fruit tree 

 growth, nor fit for any agricultural or horticultural purposes whatever, 

 but what I did say and what I do know is that the Missouri hills 

 bordering on the running waters of the Miesouri and Mississippi rivers 

 and their tributaries are the kind of hills for tree growth and the natural 

 field for the orchardist. They afford a high, dry, healthy location for 



