STATISTICS. 355 



counties, through Webster, Wright and Texas counties, we find that the 

 crop was a full one and taxed the refrigerator car lines to their utmost 

 to handle them in season. About 1,500 car loads of strawberries were 

 sent from these districts during the summer, each car containing 600 

 crates of 24 boxes each. 



Strawberry growing is getting to be one of the great industries 

 of our State, and Southwest Missouri is now known all over the United 

 States as one of the largest, if not the largest district for the growing 

 of strawberries. The crop of the State will bring, and does bring, two 

 and one-half million dollars each year. The largest acreage in straw- 

 berry fields is to be found in Missouri, and this is the third in the list 

 of fruits, apples coming first and peaches next. 



The apple acreage has grown more rapidly than that of any other 

 State since the Government Report of 1900 was made, showing Mis- 

 souri with over twenty million trees, five million more than any other 

 State. Since that time the increase has been more rapid than ever and 

 today we have twenty-four million apple trees in orchards. While New 

 York is far ahead of us in value of orchard products at the present time, 

 yet when all the orchards now planted come into bearing, we shall be 

 far in the lead of any of our sister states. The apple crop for the year 

 has been a light one and yet has brought to our apple growers some- 

 thing like four million dollars. A full crop would bring to the State 

 twenty million dollars. 



The peach orchards have kept pace with the apple orchards and 

 we find that Missouri is fast becoming the peach district of the United 

 States. The crop of peaches last year was one of the smallest for years, 

 and yet we find the crop a half million dollars in value. A full crop 

 would bring four million dollars. 



The number of trees now in orcliards has so increased that Mis- 

 souri will soon occupy the first place among all the states in peach 

 orchards, as it does now in apple orchards. 



Apples, peaches, strawberries and grapes are the four great fruits 

 of the State. The vineyards along the Missouri River hills and on the 

 top of the Ozark Mountains are increasing year by year, and a large 

 portion of the fruit is made into wine. Man}- millions of pounds are 

 sold in the markets of the State, but no great quantity is shipped out as 

 m the case of the apple, peach or strawberry. Only an estimate can 

 be given as to the value of the grape crop, because so many are made 

 into wine, but a million dollars would no more than cover the full grape 

 crop of the State. 



The other berries, the cherries, plums, pears, and all other fruits 



