332 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Elvira and .Missouri Riessling. Cynthiana, Ives, Catawba, Noah and 

 Martha are also grown to some extent, but only in locations that have 

 proved suitable for their culture. Besides the above, most of the new 

 sorts are on trial with the hope of finding some grape still better than 

 those we have now. Concord has been almost eradicated on account 

 of its susceptibility to " black-rot," and grape men are looking for some 

 grape to take the place which has the good qualities of the Concord 

 and not its faults. Will Moore's Early be this grape ! Its showing last 

 season seems to justify the hope. Notwithstanding its faults the Con- 

 cord dominates where grapes are planted for home use only. Grape- 

 growers want no more of it, however. 



Cherries, plums and apricots are met with on almost all farms. 

 The Morello's are our heartiest of the former, of course, and mostly 

 relied on, nevertheless many of the Duke, Heart and Bigareau cherries 

 do fairly well on warm, dry soils of moderate fertility. The plums 

 grown are mo&tly of the Chickasaw strain. Damson succeed moder- 

 ately well on upland. The foreign sorts are so often destroyed by cur- 

 culio that their cultivation is almost abandoned. The crops of these 

 fruits was about an average, but the "cedar birds" were equal and used 

 up all or most of the finer cherries, and a large portion of the Bichmond 

 also. 



Peach culture, owing to the long series of failures, was almost 

 abandoned lately, hence there are comparatively few trees in bearing 

 condition. What we have of trees set a good crop of fruit last spring, 

 but about maturity a mildew caused a rot, which destroyed a very large 

 per cent of the fruit. I notice that the Department of Agriculture is 

 examining into this disease, and recommends remedies. Unless some 

 way is discovered to battle down this fungus, it will hurt peach culture 

 seriously. 



Pear trees grow and flourish well, but soon succomb to the blight 

 from which cause growers found no encouragement to plant further 

 than for family use. What trees there are, had abundant crops, and 

 less blight than common. Kieffer has been exempt from blight or other 

 disease and bore well. Tree and fruit are quite satisfactory, and many 

 will plant on the faith won by its behavior so far. A good, long-keep- 

 ing winter pear is wanted among our list of varieties. Such the 

 *' Kruell's winter," found at St. Charles, will prove in your relator's 

 opinion. It was on exhibition at Nevada meeting, 1888, and again at 

 Lebanon, 1889. If this sort holds what the one tree now bearing pro- 

 mises, it will be a valuable acquisition for pear-growers in the South- 

 west. 



