ANNUAL MEETING AT NEVADA. 209 



element into the last ditch, and men who will keep abreast of the times 

 by joining with and taking part in meetings of state and county horti- 

 cultural societies. 



With such progressive pushing men in the field who dare attempt 

 to put on paper what the results will be twenty to thirty years from now 

 in the way of fruit growing. 



The subject of fruit growing, while new or nearly so to me in Mis- 

 souri, is not the case while living in the state of New York, for be it 

 known to you that in coming to Missouri, I came from a land and a 

 home of fruits and flowers and how could an ordinary man help being 

 imbued with a spirit of progress, when living among life-long fruit men, 

 such as T. G. Youman & Sons, of Walworth, New York; Elwanger & Barry, 

 Rochester, New York; the Haulses, of same place; James Vick, also of 

 Rochester; Hiram Sibley and others. By these men with ample means 

 and great efforts put forth in the propagation and cultivation of the dif- 

 ferent fruits, shrubs and flowers, Western New York has gained for her- 

 self a most enviable name — a name that the people may well feel 

 proud of, and in order to hold up Missouri fruits to the position now 

 assigned her, much earnest work is to be done, of which I w^ill refer to 

 before closing. 



My first visit to Southwest Missouri was made six years ago last 

 October. I came to spy out the land, its facilities and conditions for 

 general agricultural and horticultural purposes. I traveled over Laclede 

 county, parts of Camden and Dallas counties, and much of Webster and 

 a small part of Greene county. In my travels lasting some twenty days, 

 I made many examinations of orchards, the different soils I found them 

 planted on, the size, quality and condition of the trees and fruits. In 

 the examination of the old orchards, I found many of the York State 

 varieties — New York Belle Flower, King of Tompkins County, R. I. 

 Greening, Golden Russett, Newtown Pippin, Spitzenburg, etc., etc., while 

 in the young orchards I found apples that to me were new. 



But it was in meeting with the old varieties of York State apples 

 that I was entirely familiar with, the growth, habits and qualities, that 

 made the deep impression on me that this was truly a wonderful fruit 

 county, and from this I was forced to believe that soil and climate had all 

 to do with the quantity and quality of Missouri fruits. As my own apple 

 orchards arc yet too young to give results, let me give you results of a 

 small Ben Davis orchard that is located four miles west and north of 

 our city, owned and managed by ex-Judge Daniel Beckner. This orchard 

 is now thirteen years old from the graft; trees were .set in orchard as 



II. R. — 14. 



