196 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



HOWELL COUNTY. 



Much progress in horticulture, with plenty of room for more ; a 

 good deal of interest is manifested by companies, as well as private in- 

 dividuals, to make fruit growing a specialty, planting largely for com- 

 mercial purposes, and in this lies the future success of fruit growing. 

 Orchards are in fine condition. Eighty per cent crop, 75 per cent of 

 perfect fruit ; 90 per cent of trees planted in commercial orchards are 

 m thrifty condition. Insect enemies are few as yet. The number of 

 fruit trees planted last spring was about 40,000 ; the number planted 

 this fall, and to be planted next spring, will amount to 60,000 — 30,000 

 at or near Olden. 



Howell County is fast coming to the front as a peach growing 

 county. 



Commercial planting is on the increase, not only in Howell county, 

 but Texas, Wright, and all along the line of the K. C, Ft. Scott & 

 Memphis railroad. 



I have been frequently asked the question, since I have been in this 

 part of the state, the cause of apples rotting on some trees. Not 

 having seen the trees I inquired if it was confined to any special 

 variety.'' The answer was that the cause certainly was from some 

 disease in the tree ; and on examination found it to be the case; 

 for in every instance where the fruit was affected the tree was 

 in a weak, feeble condition ; the trunk near the surface ot the 

 ground, and larger roots were affected ; some orchards seemed in a 

 much worse condition than others ; and the trees affected the most were 

 those standing in rather low, damp ground ; it first occurred to me that 

 those trees had wet feet, and yet think that to be the cause to a great 

 extent. 



Mr. Ben Gunn, of Oregon county, says, that 7 or 8 years ago, about 

 the latter part of October, or first of November, came a very sudden and 

 severe cold spell, that froze the sap in the trees so that the bark burst 

 on the trunks of many of the fruit trees. Very* many of them died, 

 some partly recovered, but have been gradually dying out, since they 

 have come into bearing, and that this freezing is the cause of the disease 

 in the tree, and rotting of the fruit. In every instance where the tree 

 was affected by the freeze the most, the fruit was correspondingly affect- 

 ed. It first appears to be sun scald, and rot sets in before the fruit is 

 fully developed. 



Is orchard planting in excess of the demands for fruit ; or, in other 

 words, will fruit raising be a profitable investment, in years like this, of 



