334 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



great diversity of soils, exposures and altitudes fits this portion for a 

 great variety. The northern slope is better adapted to the apple than 

 other fruits, while the southern offers locations and advantages especially 

 to the grape, peach, pear, plum, etc., difficult to excell even in the far- 

 famed " Ozarks." 



Eespectfully submitted, 



C. Mallinckrodt. 



TANEY COUNTY. 



Brown Branch, Mo. 

 L. A. Goodman, Esq., Westjyort Mo.: 



Dear Sir — I will make a short report for Taney county. 



The fruit growing interests of this county are a minor factor in the 

 family living, "hog and hominy " being the rule, but I am glad to see 

 that the people are awakening to the fact that there is something in 

 fruit. There have been several thousand trees set out this fall, mostly 

 for family use. This is one of the best counties I have been in for 

 fruits of all kinds, gooseberry and currants excepted. The former mil- 

 dew, and if mulching won't save the currant we will have to do without 

 them. 



Grapes are one of nature's gifts, growing wild on hill and dale. 

 We are troubled some with rot, but no wonder ; no manure, no prun- 

 ing, no anything; just put them out by the "garden wall" and let them 

 go. 



Pears are a success as yet. Annual crops of fine fruit, if there is 

 not a change for the worse, there is good money in pears in Taney 

 county. 



Peaches we have had for the past three years, with a good prospect 

 for the fourth. 



Plums do well, with no insects to bother them, though this maybe 

 because of our ignorance, not knowing the insects when we see them. 



I have been over a good part of Southwest Missouri, the south 

 part of Kansas, the famous apple-producing region of Arkansas (the 

 far-famed Boston mountains), and I have never seen finer fruit any- 

 where than right here in Taney county. Large, fine, handsome apples 

 with a flavor that carries me back to Minnessota, where we paid nine 

 dollars per barrel for them. 



All we nerd is wide-awake, energetic men, willing to invest a dol- 

 lar and wait a few years for returns, to make this one of the finest 

 fruit-producing counties in the State. I will close by casting a vote 



