348 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



at 8 per cent, and on $1,333 at 6 per cent. The Jenet is called one of 

 the poorest commercial apples we have, and the above is about the way 

 many of our orchards are cultivated in Holt county. The most of us 

 cultivate our young trees three to live years and then put in grass. The 

 outlook for orcharding, and the adaptability of Holt county for fruit- 

 growing cannot be surpassed anywhere. There is an abundance of 

 cheap land with a natural under-drainage, into which the roots can pen- 

 etrate deep down to the moist ground. Mr. N. F. Murray, and a few 

 others, cultivate their old orchards. In California they take better 

 care of their orchards. They cultivate continually — 15 or 20 times a 

 season. It looks to me, if labor is worth anything, their profits must 

 be small. Irrigation is another great expense, and they have no profit 

 of hay or pasture as we do in Holt county or in Missouri. I can't see 

 why land should sell for any more in California than land in Holt county 

 or Missouri. 



I have it from good authority that visitors from other states pro- 

 nounced the Holt county fruits that were on exhibit at the St. Joseph 

 Exposition, by N. F. Murray, as not surpassed by fruit of any other 

 state in size, color or quality. Some who had eaten California pears 

 said ours were ahead in quality. We all know that the Holt county or 

 Missouri apple is far superior in quality to those of Southern Califor- 

 nia and takes much less labor to raise it. 



This certainly was as fine a display of fruits as could be found any- 

 where in the world to be gathered and put up by one man, and at his 

 expense. Mr. N. F. Murray deserves great praise from the people of 

 Holt county for his energy and good taste in exhibiting these fruits of 

 Holt county, and it truly deserved the first premium of $500. 



The fruit interests are increasing in Holt county. Good fruits are 

 in demand and are ready sale at good prices. In old orchards we have 

 nearly all the varieties that are named, and some that have never been 

 named. Our young orchards are largely filled with Ben Davis, Jonathan, 

 Willow Twig, Winesap and Maiden Blush. This collection makes a 

 profitable commercial orchard. 



Our fall weather is generally very favorable for fruits, the ther- 

 mometer gradually falling, growing colder by degrees— in fact we most 

 always have very moderate weather until Christmas, which gives ample 

 time for the wood to ripen, and to-day, December 9, 1889, the plows are 

 running. 



November 8 they had eight inches of snow as near by as Platts- 

 mouth, Nebraska, and southwest of us at Topeka, Kansas. Stout, rug- 

 ged cattlemen froze to death in the fine climate of New Mexico. Such 



