WINTER MEETING AT LEBANON. 213 



awhile and eat again with no inconvenience. All other grapes since 

 raised seem to clog too soon. But, alas, the day for the Catawba in 

 Missouri has past, and we have to take what we can get. 



Vineyards were planted upon the hillsides at Hermann, where it 

 was almost impossible to climb, and people accumulated wealth by rais- 

 ing the grape, and were as happy and contented as any people upon the 

 face of the earth. The Hermann hills would bring to mind their native 

 vine-clad Khineland hills. After Hermann it was not long before the 

 vine was common upon the hills around Boonville, and then all along 

 the Missouri and at many other localities. 



These hills also seem to be well adapted for the peach, especially 

 where the loess clays abound. Further north in Missouri is a little too 

 cool for the peach. 



Excepting the insects, natural enemies to the apple tree and its 

 fruit, North Missouri has largely supplied the market with apples. 

 South Missouri, when proven at all, has yielded well, but over that im- 

 mense area until recently there were scarcely any orchards. Within 

 fifteen years past I have traveled over some entire counties of South 

 Missouri and seen neither a good apple orchard nor peach orchard, nor 

 a vineyard, while I knew that their rocky hills and valleys were capa- 

 ble of enriching the owners and making them comfortable in the pos- 

 session of good fruits. South Missouri needs development in this line. 

 The owners of North Missouri orchards have derived profit from them, 

 but in South Missouri it is only near the larger streams and occasion- 

 ally near the railroads that the fruit industry stands forth. 



The species or kind of fruit and character of that fruit, as well as 

 its cultivation and returns to the producer, depend very largely on the 

 soil and subsoil. These, also, in their several characters are determined 

 by the underlying geological formation. The beds of solid rock, lime- 

 stone, sandstones or shales of North Missouri are generally overlaid 

 by deposits of drift clays, which are deeper in the north and east, be- 

 coming thinner to the westward. In Western as well as Southern Mis- 

 souri, the underlying rocks give distinctive character to the soils. 

 Hence the surpassing productiveness of Western Missouri. The drift 

 of North Missouri varies from 20 to 100 feetin thickness, and although 

 sand-beds are often included, the predominance of clay-beds to form a 

 clammy soil and flat-topped ridge makes it unfavorable for growing 

 either fruit or grain in very wet or very dry seasons. Where the under 

 clays are thrown out and mingled with the soil it is thereby improved, 

 especially on account of the added lime. 



Where valleys are more frequent the surface soils are also more 

 diverse, on account of the mingling of sands, clays and other material. 



