144 MISSOURI STATE IIUKTICULTURAL SUCIEI'Y. 



chism, he expressed it fully, ard leaves nothing forme to add, only my 

 experience from the standpoint of a fruit dealer. However havirtg been 

 reared on a fruit farm, and from early boyhood was taught how to work 

 amon[^ fruit, I can more fully comprehend the situation. 



The apple, justly called the king of all fruits, its various uses for 

 all mankind at all seasons of the year, and beneficial in all climates, 

 places it in the front rank as the staple of all fruits from a commercial 

 standpoint. And this great leader of all fruits is specially adapted to 

 our state and I assure you if standard commercial varieties are planted, 

 you need not fear of overstocking the markets. But if you go into 

 fruit-growing to make it pay, I would advise you to go into it right, and 

 make a business of it. 



1st. You must know what variety suits your soil and locality. 



2d. You must know or study the requirements of your markets — 

 quality, attractive appearance, good size and shipping and keeping 

 qualities, are chiefly essential to success. When you have all those 

 combined, then you are right and may go ahead. My advice is to plant 

 large orchards and but few varieties. You need not fear that you will 

 overdo the apple business, all that is necessary is to plant the right va- 

 rieties. In the past twelve years, I have bought and packed apples in 

 Michigan, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. I have 

 never found a locality where the apple-growing was overdone, but I as- 

 sure you that my great trouble is to find a locality where I can get the 

 quantity I want. I can further assure you that the larger your orchards 

 the greater your fruit will be in demand and you will ob- 

 tain better prices. Whenever you have a large orchard of 

 merchantable varieties of apples, you need not bother yourself for a 

 buyer, you will find plenty eager to buy ye-ur crop, and at far better 

 prices than is paid for small crops. Again, if you have a large crop and 

 you do not care to have the bother of gathering your apples, the dealer 

 will see to it, he can afford to gather a large crop of standard varieties, 

 while a small crop would only be an annoyance to him. This is no 

 fancy or fiction, but the result of my, and every other extensive dealers' 

 experience. You may, therefore, with all confidence engage extensively 

 in apple-growing. I know of nothing more staple on the market, nor 

 anything which offers better returns. 



Again, when you compare the apple-growing sections of this 

 Union, with the vast territory to supply, and the continual growing de- 

 mands, you must at once seethe stability of the apple business. Look 

 at the map of your country — north south, west and even the east. I 

 have shipped apples to markets from the Carolinas to California, to 



