A FEW ITEMS FOR SETTLERS. 499 



Weston, Platte county, in 1888, shipped fifty car loads of apples, 

 and two packers in the county shipped 1,300 barrels each. The inter- 

 est in fruit-growing in this county is largely on the increase, and good 

 land, ready for planting, can be had for an average price of $30 per acre ; 

 while much just as good by nature can be had for less, and this within 

 thirty miles of Kansas City. 



Reese & Downey, at latan, Platte County, have about 200 acres in 

 apple orchard, largely of Ben Davis ; 115 acres of this is on Missouri 

 river bottom land, the rest is on upland. Their trees are of different ages 

 from four to fifteen years, and are doing well. Seven acres of this 

 orchard are on bottom land, black ivalmit soil, and is mostly Ben Davis. 

 The eighth year after planted, the apples from these seven acres sold for 

 $543 ; the ninth year for $685 ; the tenth year for $1,100; the eleventh 

 year for $1,500; twelfth year nearly a failure, and the thirteenth year for 

 $700. 



In the season of 1888 there was packed in Buchanan County, includ- 

 ing the City of St. Joseph, 160,000 barrels of apples, mostly Ben Davis, 

 Willow Twig and Missouri Pippin. 



St. Joseph has a population of 100,000, is a railroad center and a 

 splendid fruit market ; and yet good fruit land can be bought in Bu- 

 chanan County at $30 to $40 per acre. 



Amazonia, ten miles northwest of St. Joe, in Andrew County, in 

 1888 packed 7,600 barrels of apples, while other towns in the same 

 county, on the Hopkins branch, have made heavy shipments. The in- 

 terest in fruit raising in Andrew County is increasing ; the farmers are 

 learning that apple growing especially pays better than almost any other 

 line of production. 



Maryvillc, the county-seat of Nodaway County, and on the Hopkins 

 Branch, shipped in 1888 twenty-eight car-loads of apples, and this repre- 

 sents only a small part of what was sent from the county. Nodaway is 

 a beautiful rolling prairie and timber county — fruit land $20 to $35 per 

 acre. 



HOLT COUNTY-. 



There was shipped from Forbes Station, in 1888, twelve car loads 

 of apples. 



From Forest City, sixty car-loads. 



From Craig, ten car loads. 



From Maitland, on the Nodaway Branch, forty-one car loads of ap- 

 ples and five tons of grapes. 



