252 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



corn in a fair season. Now this tree may be grown to six years from 

 planting, and the land also will grow nearly as much of any other crop 

 at the same time ; from this time on to ten years, this tree should pro- 

 duce one barrel of fruit yearly, worth $1.25, or about as much as five 

 bushels of corn. From ten to twenty years, we may reasonably expect 

 from three to four times this yield, and the cultivation will be less if 

 anything than would be necessary for corn. Now under these circum- 

 stances, I think I would have a better chance to obtain a mortgage on 

 my neigbor's corn-field than he would have to get one on my orchard. 

 Yet, there are perhaps five hundred acres of corn grown in Missouri 

 to-day to one of apples. 



Astronomers tell us that they art continually discovering new 

 planets, not because they had before failed to carefully look over space, 

 not because these planets had not previously existed, but because it had 

 taken from creation up to the present time for the light to travel over 

 the immense distance that intervened. So it is with this horticultural 

 light. It seems to be backward in breaking in on the understanding 

 of a great many. So much so is this the case that the true horticul- 

 turist need not be alarmed at the prospect of being driven out of the 

 business by the average farmer, who will, most likely, stick to his corn. 

 As we come to consider the less staple and more perishable small 

 fruits, we find the risk somewhat greater, and the chance of larger 

 profits greatly enhanced. With these the profits vary from nothing to 

 hundreds of dollars per acre, and those engaged in small fruit culture 

 should be satisfied if a series of years had netted a satisfactory return ; 

 and I believe it is impossible to find an instance in our whole State 

 where the culture of strawberries, raspberries or blackberries had not 

 paid a reasonable profit one year with another for the time engaged in 

 it, nor do I think it likely, only in special localities where the business 

 may become for a time overdone, that the business will be less profita- 

 ble in the future. Of such fruits as gooseberries, currants and cher- 

 ries I think the future offers greater inducements in their production 

 than of many other fruits. Particularly is this so of the cherry — as 

 of all the different species of fruits, I know of not one so uniformly 

 productive as the cherry when confining ourselves to the Murrello 

 family; and though markets are sometimes unsatisfactory, still when we 

 consider the demand for the canned and evaporated article, we are 

 assured of a fair remuneration always. 



Of pears, quinces and plums I believe, with the knowledge we 

 have of varieties, that in the growth of any of these the future offers 

 very fine profits. Of plums will mention that our honorable president,. 

 Mr. Evans, informed me that from one tree of the blue Damson variety 



