342 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Of small fruits, we find the cultivation of strawberries decidedly 

 the most profitable. In this locality the Crescent and Kentucky have 

 done better than any other varieties we have tried to grow. In the 

 future, perhaps, we may find some varieties that are equally as good,, 

 if not better. Among the May King, Bubach and other new varieties, 

 which we are testing, we have two varieties of our own, seedlings from 

 the Kentucky. We will have to give them a trial before we can say 

 much about them, or even give them a name. 



Our strawberry plantation consists of about five acres, and as 

 others in this vicinity are engaged in growing them, we find the home- 

 market entirely too small to consume our fruit. We, therefore, de- 

 pend largely on shipping. There is no fortune in the business, yet we 

 have been reasonably successful. 



While our fruit brings us modest returns for our own labor, we have 

 the additional satisfaction of benefiting the public generally, viz. • the 

 factory from which we get boxes, cases, etc., the express company which 

 carries the fruit, the many young people we employ who earn their first 

 dollar on our fruit farm. The beautiful fruit as it enters the markets is a 

 healthful relish to consumers. 



When not winter-killed, raspberries do well in this county. We 

 cultivate the Turner, Brandywine and Mammoth Cluster. We have 

 never shipped any to distant markets, but sell them mostly at home, 

 and ship to small neighboring markets. 



We are trying to grow dewberries, which we think will do well 

 here, as this is their native home. They have not fruited yet, so we 

 cannot say much in their favor. 



Some years ago blackberries did splendid here. We cultivated 

 the Wilson, Lawton and Kittatinny. Of late years the vines rusted,, 

 and the fruit did not develop well, but presented a kind of crippled 

 appearance when ripe. 



We are trying to grow some new varieties, which we hope will do 

 better. 



Crapes, like blackberries, did well here years ago, but of late 

 years they have been a miserable failure. What few we had, we grub- 

 bed out long ago and threw them away. We never felt like trying 

 to grow them again. Perhaps some one might succeed in growing 

 them here, but I never will. 



We have only a few pear trees, they are mostly the Seckel and 

 Bartlett. They bear heavily every alternate year. I have never paid 

 much attention to this fruit, and whether they bear this way in other 

 places I cannot say, but our trees do so. 



