148 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIKTV, 



WHAT FRUITS, OR OTHER HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS, 



GIVE THE BEST PROFITS ? 



JOHN KIRCHGRABER, SPRINGFIELD, MO. 



Mr. President and Members Missouri State Horticultural Society: 



The above subject has been assigned to me for an answer. It is 

 hardly fair to expect of me to tell my horticultural fellow-workers what 

 particular fruit or branch of horticulture gives the best profits. If I could 

 do so it would not be prudent to do it, for everybody would try to raise 

 the same kind of fruit or follow the same branch of horticulture that 

 would surely follow by an over-production of the particular kind, and 

 thereby create too much competition in the markets, and consequently 

 lessen the profits. But my friends need not be alarmed, for what I am 

 about to tell will be a chance for everybody to make a fair profit out of 

 his labors in horticultural pursuits. 



What Fruit or other horticultural product gives the best profits } 

 That depends on several very important conditions. 



First and foremost, what markets have we to dispose of our products, 

 so as to give us a good profit, for it would be time and labor wasted if we 

 had no markets to produce more than could be consumed at home. So, 

 if any one intends to engage in a certain branch of horticulture, or, for 

 that matter, in any other business, where will we sell to the best advan- 

 tage, should be carefully considered. 



Second, to be profitably successful, we must have good soil and suit- 

 able locations, for without either it would be rather up-hill work for pro- 

 fits. 



Third, anyone engaging in horticulture must have a little ready cash 

 and a great deal of enduring nerve, energy and love for the undertaking. 

 To be profitably successful, requires considerable work and often hard 

 work, too, good judgment and lorethought. 



Now, as to profits in fruit, take the apple, on a whole good results 

 can be had ; even very large profits have been derived from apple orch- 

 ards, and it will so continue as long as we produce first class apples. Mr. 



