352 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



that all kinds of small fruits could be grown here as well as in any 

 other part of this State. I believe a cannery at Hermann or at some 

 other point along the Mo. P. E. R. would meet with success. This 

 would be especially profitable for those farmers who own small tracts. 



GRAPES. 



The area of vineyards has rather decreased since the last eight or 

 ten years. A great many wine-growers who formerly made their own 

 wine have to sell their grapes now to large wineries. The prices for 

 grapes have come down, and rot very often diminishes the crops. Cul- 

 tivation is done in most the vineyards with greatest care, also all other 

 kind of necessary work. I believe if less wine was made, but of bet- 

 ter quality, the general outlook for wine-growing would be far better. 



PEARS, PEACHES AND PLUMS 



Are not grown to any extent for marketing purposes in Gasconade.. 

 Growing of pears cannot be recommended as our climate don't agree 

 with the tree. If one sets out pears it is the most profitable to plant 

 dwarf pears. Bartlett and Seckel will generally answer the best. All 

 kinds of peaches can be grown here of finest quality, and if we had an 

 evaporating establishment it certainly would pay to grow them in large 

 quantities. The same cannot be said about the plums, as most varieties- 

 will bear only a few years. The Damson plum answers the best, and 

 the German plum, or Frcetschge, gave abundant crops in my orchards 

 several years. 



APPLES. 



There are also but a few land-owners in this county growing apples 

 for marketing. Many farmers even have no apples for home use. And 

 still there are hundreds of acres in our county well adapted for the 

 culture of this standard fruit. A great many of the eastern and south- 

 ern sites along the Missouri and Gasconade rivers and along the differ- 

 ent creeks emptying in the latter river could be converted to fine 

 orchards. There have been a good many trees set out here during the 

 last years, but as many did not know how to care for them, the borer 

 and other insects destroyed them, the trees died, and the end was dis- 

 couragement. But in case an orchard is tilled right, the trees planted 

 with care and in proper width in regard to soil and variety, also pruned 

 right at the proper time, the bark kept smooth, the insects destroyed, 

 the soil cultivated as often as necessary, according to its contents, and 

 fertilizers applied if necessary, also the fruit gathered at the right time 

 and with greatest care, and when shipped selected carefully and packed 



