202 .NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In Nebraska would only permit the sale of apples from about twelve 

 orchards in Nemaha county. I found one orchard in the west with 

 16,000 bushels of apples still in it in January because the state inspector 

 would not allow them hauled to town. Their methods of packing perfect 

 fruit and culled to size enable the buyer to know exactly what he is 

 paying for, and are largely responsible for the high prices. 



Having taken several side trips not named in my ticket, and traveling 

 until the conductor had taken the last piece of my 6,000-mile ticket, I 

 returned home convinced that between the Missouri river and the Pacific 

 ocean there are no fruit districts that will produce more apples or of 

 better quality, and where there are fewer obstacles to overcome than in 

 the favored fruit districts of Nebraska. 



GRAPE GROWING IN SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. 



J. K. DUNCAN, PERU. 



Grape growing in a commercial way in southeastern Nebraska is just 

 in its infancy. This section of the state is destined to become a great 

 fruit section. Soil, climate and location all favor the production of high 

 quality fruit. The bluff land lying adjacent to the Missouri river is a 

 rich loose soil. This is natural timber country making it ideal fruit 

 land. As to its adaptability for grape culture the bearing vineyards give 

 abundant evidence by their big yields of high quality fruit. Grapes 

 grown on Missouri River bluff land cannot be excelled for quality by 

 grapes grown in any other section. At present only a few men are 

 engaged in growing grapes commercially and as they are making a 

 success of it a larger acreage is being planted each year. 



How much will it cost to bring a vineyard into bearing, how long 

 will it be before returns will come in, and what revenue can be expected 

 from bearing vineyards are pertinent questions to beginners in grape 

 culture. Land may be purchased for from $50 to $125 per acre depend- 

 ing on location. Any land that can be cultivated may be utilized for 

 vineyard purposes. The cost of vines (one year No. 1), planting, post 

 and wire for trellis, labor necessary to bring vineyard into bearing, will 

 vary according to kind of grape set out, labor put on land, etc. 



The varieties commonly grown are Concord, Worden, Moore's Early 

 and Brighton. Several newer sorts are being tested out with gratifying 

 success. Notable among these is the Campbell's Early. This is a large 

 black grape that commences to ripen with Moore's Early and will hang 

 on the vine for ten weeks and be in marketable condition. With us 

 the past two seasons it has excelled the standard sorts In throw- 

 ing out a heavier crop after being frozen back by spring frosts. It 

 stands at the top as a commercial sort in this section. Late spring 

 frosts have of late years been the bane of the fruit grower. This 

 enemy of the fruit grower can now be eliminated by equipping the 

 orchards and vineyard with orchard heaters. Orchard heaters have 



