156 MISSOURI STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In order that we may assist the horticulturist on his journey, let 

 us be careful, and, as far as possible, avoid mistakes in putting up our 

 guide-posts. Let us be sure to have them point in the right direction 

 and give the correct distance. 



The writer still has a vivid, but not pleasant, recollection of either 

 the absence, or dim and unreliable statements of the guide-boards along 

 the public highways in new and sparsely settled countries traversed in 

 his youthful days. So, farther on in life, while following our favorite 

 pursuit of horticulture, we are often in doubt, bewildered, or even for 

 a time lost on what at first appeared to be a plain road to success. 



From whence come our troubles"? I believe chiefly from the varia- 

 tions in soil and climate, and from lack of knowing in what localities to 

 plant given varieties of fruit. 



Hence, it is of the highest importance for all who wish to reap the 

 benefit to be derived from the experience of others, to note carefully 

 where the trial has been made, character of soil, climate, market and 

 variety of fruit. 



Our orchard lessons' of the past year have been mainly learned 

 while at work in the orchard, by comparing liotes with other fruit 

 growers in our local society, and by contact with fruit buyers. 



My orchard is located on the hilly, bluff land of northwest Mis- 

 souri. This formation is mostly a bed of marl, varying from fifty to one 

 hundred feet in depth, and is perforated with orifices from top to bot- 

 tom. These perforations constitute the most thorough system of drain- 

 age that can be imagined, and the material of these marl beds is, to 

 quote Prof. Swallow, "of inexhaustible fertility." 



The land on which this orchard grows has been constantly in cul- 

 tivation for forty-five years — has never been manured or clovered to 

 an extent worth mentioning. 



Last winter was long and severe, the cold at one time reaching 27 

 degress below zero. As the winter wore away we grew anxious for 

 spring to come that we might learn what prospect for fruit the Storm 

 King had left us. 



When at last the trees began to bud out, we w^re agreeably sur- 

 prised to find the damage much lighter than we had reason to fear, and 

 we soon beheld our apple, cherry and plum trees one mass of bloom, 

 and while, of course, we had no peach bloom, we found the young 

 wood was in good condition, even the young shoots from old trees that 

 had been severely cut back. 



On my Wild Goose Plum orchard I concluded there was enough 

 fruit set for a crop if protected from curculio and gouger. So went ta 



