130 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



longest and greatest of all drouths reached its worst in 1887; and even 

 then no human being needed to lack for plenty of food, bread, meat, 

 fruits and vegetables, and our stock did not perish of starvation. 



OF THE CLIMATE 



Of Holt county, not much needs to be said. It is the inter-continental 

 climate much modified by our surroundings. Directly south of us is a 

 wide sweep of river and of river hills for more than fifty miles. East 

 of Holt is the Nodaway river and the timbered hill country of Andrew 

 county. On the west side are the Missouri river and the hills of the 

 Kansas side, while far to the northwest stretches more than a hundred 

 miles of Missouri river, and of hills on either side, that stand guard 

 between us and the fearful northwesters that rage unchecked over the 

 prairies of Iowa and Nebraska. The history of fifty years shows that 

 we have been less afflicted with drouth than the more open regions 

 around us in any direction ; and no blizzard has ever reached us as 

 such, nor until very much of its fury had been spent. I firmly believe 

 that our immediate surroundings will give us, especially in the southern 

 end of the county, an important degree of exemption from extremes of 

 heat and cold, from drouth and from destructive storms. Certainly 

 our climate is the better for the rivers and the hills and the timber that 

 are around us on the three sides. 



FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WEEDS, 



Native or naturalized, Holt county with confidence enters the lists as 

 against all comers. Sunflowers sixteen feet high, rag-weed as tall, 

 mustard, jimpson, careless weed, lamb's quarter. Hemp — on all of 

 these the birds of the air build their nests, and the smpll boy sports 

 among their branches. At times we mourn on account of our weeds ; 

 but we are consoled when we remember that the soil that bears such 

 weeds will and does produce crops just as well as it does weeds. 



CLOVER 



Does very well here, and reconstructs worn or washed places quickly 

 and certainly. * * * * 



Passing through our big bottom along our creek valleys, up or 

 down our slopes, over the ridges, looking from our high places, may be 

 found a fair land to look upon; and, when the green leaves are on the 

 trees, or when they put on their gorgeous fall colors, no county of the 

 State has more of beauty than ours. Missouri is the beautiful State, 

 and we have our full share. 



