Winter Meeting. . . 245 



sion of men, women and children from every state and from over sea, 

 moving- in steady line for 210 days, and as they come to Missouri's 

 10,000 feet of space, they say: Look! this is Missouri! See the 

 berries, the grapes, the peaches, the apples, and all declare, as was 

 said at New Orleans, at Chicago, at Omaha, "Missouri is the richest 



State, greatest in resources." 



A little later from the same crest we see another movement from 

 every state, this time by families, coming to Missouri, and settling 

 on her unoccupied lands, and our State becomes the first in number 

 of farms and they are owned by the families who cultivate them. 

 And here is being worked out successfully, co-operation — the only 

 salvation for commercial fruit grov/ing. 



Yes, indeed, as we were apple gathering in those September and 

 October days, and traversed broad areas that have never been touched 

 by spade or plow we saw it as it soon will be, the fairest portion of 

 the greatest orchard section of the g'lobe. 



Your secretary, who is also our faithful World's Fair superin- 

 tendent of horticulture, should have made my topic: "Some of tiie 

 Pleasures in Gathering Apples for the World's Fair." 



• EFFECTS OF THE ^lAY FREEZE. 



(A. J. Davis, Jefferson City, Mo.) 

 Mr. President : 



The freeze of the morning of May ist almost completely ruined 

 the apple crop in our locality. In looking up apples suitable to ex- 

 hibit at the Louisiana Purchase exposition I examined the fruit in 

 all the orchards, beginning at Jefferson City and extending some ten 

 or twelve miles up the river, and about the same distance to the west 

 and southwest of that place. In all the orchards examined I found but 

 six that contained any apples that would grade No. i, and only three 

 of the six contained any first class fruit of consequence. One of 

 the best of the orchards was located on the Missouri river bluffs 

 about nine miles above Jefferson City. The trees in this orchard are 

 about 25 years old, and had been g"iven clean culture the past season. 

 The land sloped to the north with timber on the northeast and west 

 sides. Varieties : Ben Davis, Wolf River, Gilpin, Grimes Golden, 

 Huntsman ; apples, medium to large with but very little scab or rot, and 

 but few wormy specimens. There was no injury from the freeze apparent 

 in this orchard. Located about 300 yards south on the same ridge and 

 about the same level is another orchard ; trees about 16 years old. I would 

 have estimated the apples in this orchard at about 300 bushels. I was 



