214 STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



North Hadlet, Mass., December l, 1897. 

 Mr. L. A Goodman, Secretary, Westport, Mo. : 



DEAK Sir— This letter may be somewhat of a surprise to you, and you may have tor- 

 gotten there ever was such a person, but such was and Is the case. I have often thought 

 of the many friends I made among the fruit men of Missouri and of the many pleasant 

 times I had with them and how I would like to drop In on them at their annual meetings. 

 Hope things are going on well at Columbia, and that Prof. Whltten Is the right man In the 

 right place, and If so, that he will stay and do some good work for the fruit-growers of 

 Missouri. I was very much Interested In his bulletin on spraying peach trees with white- 

 wash, and shall try It this winter. 



I see that Missouri Is In luck this year as far as apples are concerned, having had a 

 good crop, while we at the coast have had a very small crop. I was In FaneuU Hall Mar- 

 ket, Boston, a week ago Saturday, and most of the western fruit had been disposed of; It 

 was not keeping at all well, owing to warm fall. Apples that are keeping well are good 

 property In Boston markets. The firm I send all my apples to (and have sent to the same 

 Arm from the time I began growing apples) are holding ray No. 1 Baldwins at $5 per bbl. ; 

 No. 2 at $2.50. Last year I had my No. l apples put in cold storage, and they sold from $2 

 to $2.25 per bbl. , and the year before they sold from $3.50 to $5 per bbl. Had a good crop of 

 peaches this last year, but the prices were very low for these parts. I figured up last night 

 what my peaches netted me per half bushel basket, good and bad, and it was just a little 

 over 81}^ cents per basket. In 1883 I had aboutl.SOO baskets and they netted me, good and 

 poor, (No. 1 and No. 2) , over $1.87 for half bushel basket. In 1895 I had a good crop and that 

 season the run was about $1.10 per half bushel basket. 



The season of 1896 was the wort season I ever saw for the fruit business. All kinds of 

 fruits except peaches were simply loaded. We had too much of a good thing, and I for one 

 hope It will be a long time before we have to handle fruit for so little money 



How has Missouri found the Crosby peach? I set out 100 before i went to Missouri, and 

 have had seven crops from them, and don't want any more. I was on the point of writing 

 you when the Crosby was being boomed In Missouri that It would not prove a profitable 

 peach for market— too small, poor color and shipper— but concluded I had troubled those 

 who had the trees to sell as much as one man ought, so thought I would let them alone. 

 Hale, J. H., & Hinds, the two who pushed it here and my humble self had some interesting 

 reading In the papers over the Ci'osby, and think I stopped thousands of them being set 

 about here. . 



What has been the outcome of the large apple orchards that were planted about the 

 time I was In Missouri? Have many of them proved a profitable investment? I had my 

 doubts about it at the time, for most were planting more than they could take care of, and 

 do it as It should be; 100 trees may prove a very profitable Investment when 1,000 might re- 

 sult in loss. 



How has D. A. Robnett of Columbia succeded with his apple orchard? I would like to 

 have you give me what has been the Increase in the acreage of large and small fruits dur- 

 ing the past 15 years In Missouri, and what proportion has been a paying Investment. I 

 want to get together the facts from the different fruit sections and write a paper on the 

 subject. I want to put a stop to the planting of trees by persons who will not care for 

 them or the fruit after the trees that live through the neglect they receive begin to bear 

 and flood the market with worthless trash that never pays the cost of handling and pre- 

 vents good fruit selling for what it would If it was not for the poor stock thrown on the 

 markets. The time Is past when the average farmer can or will make money growing 

 fruits; at least it Is so in this part of the country. 



Winter has Just set in; the ground is frozen about two Inches deep, and we have 

 about an Inch of snow. The prospects for fruit for another season are good with me to 

 date. Hope peaches will go through all right; my trees are in good condition and will give 

 a fine crop if not Injured during the winter. 



Remember me to any of my old friends. Very truly yours, 



JOhn W. Clark. 



