REPORTS OF COUNTY SOCIETIES. 211 



Insects Is not In print ; will be Thursday and will send It to you If It deserves a place In 

 your report. I have done lots of work and spent money In the last 12 years to keep this 

 work going; we have a lew men at each point that work all the time for It, attend all the 

 meetings, etc. I would like for every county to make an estimate of what Is done and have 

 It published so as to compare. We do not know If we are doing well or not. I am now (lo 

 years old, raised in the early days of Missouri. I know I am not competent to do this work 

 but do It because others will not. Itespectfully, 



G. G. Ja.mes. 



LAWRENCE COUNTY. 



Oor Society is in good working order, and many others will join. 



We had a horticultural exhibit of three days, Oct. 7, Sand 9, where 

 many plates of fine apples, pears, peaches etc., were shown. Our mer- 

 chants offered some excellent premiums for the best, and all went off 

 nicely. B. Logan, Secretary. 



COOPER COUNTY. 



The year 1897, had some peculiar climatic changes, which to a great 

 extent controlled the favorable and unfavorable results in horticultural 

 pursuits. The fair prospects of the apple and late peach crops was 

 greatly damaged by the great droughts which prevailed here as well as 

 elsewhere. The increase in price which was very encouraging, was 

 counteracted by the decrease in size and lack of color in the fruit, 

 which caused many estimates early in the season to fall short of ex- 

 pectation when the crops were packed, yet, taking all in all, the farm- 

 ers are generally well pleased over the result, and many new commer- 

 cial orchards will be planted the coming season. The strawberry crop 

 was an exceptional one, very fine, but prices ruled low except for 

 strictly fancy. Varieties doing best with writer was Bubach No. f), 

 Hoverland, Greenville and Parker Earle, the last named stands pre- 

 eminent above all others for productiveness. Prospects for 1898 very 

 poor, plants damaged and many beds from the effects of dought are dead . 

 Raspberries and blcakberries produced a fibe crop ; prices ruled low. 

 Grapes and plums a good crop, but no sales for the fruit. Abundance 

 and Burbank are the plums for people to plant. Fancy varieties of 

 peaches were in demand at fair prices. Seedling and inferior budded 

 varieties not wanted at any price. The Elberta, queen of all the early 

 varieties, reigns supreme above all others for size, color and produc- 

 tiveness. Champion, a fine peach of its class. Heath cling and Salway 

 the best late varieties. The summing up of all the small fruit crops 

 and perishable stone fruits, seems to be to plant and grow only the 

 beat, if a man expects to sell at a profit. A suggestion to my brother 

 nurserymen : why are we growing so many varieties of apples when 



