APPLKS POU KXHIBITION PURPOSES. 20:i 



been used in Nebraska and neighboring states the past spring with 

 gratifying results. A number of growers in this section are intending 

 to equip their orchards with heaters this spring and thus insure a 

 crop of fruit. With the advent of orchard heaters grapes become one 

 of our most profitable crops. The approximate cost of bringing a vine- 

 yard into bearing and equipping with orchard heaters is frora $100 to 

 $150 per acre. Add to this the cost of land, interest, taxes, depreciation 

 of trellis and vines, and an acre would cost from $175 to $250 to change 

 it from the bare land to a bearing vineyard. 



An acre of grapes will yield from 200 to 2,000 eight-pound baskets of 

 fruit. The price obtained varies from 2 to 4 cents per pound, so that 

 an acre will return from $100 to $500 net. Taking the greatest cost per 

 acre ($250) and least returns ($100) and an acre will give 4 per cent on 

 investment. Is the average farm growing ordinary farm crops bringing 

 in these returns? I think not. I believe that southeastern Nebraska 

 has as a great a future as any section of the country for the production 

 of fancy table grapes, apples and other fruits. 



Our fruits, when given proper care and put in competition with 

 fruit from other sections, have taken their share of blue ribbons and 

 have sold on the market at the top. Why go to Washington, Oregon. 

 Idaho, Colorado, or other widely advertised fruit sections and pay from 

 $500 to $3,000 per acre for land when just as good land (better than 

 some) several hundred miles nearer the big markets can be bought in 

 Nemaha, Richardson, Pawnee, Otoe and other eastern counties for from 

 $50 to $125 per acre. Our land will produce as much per acre and if 

 proper care is given fruit will sell on markets for top prices. 



"Distance lends enchantment" is only too true in the fruit business. 

 If you contemplate engaging in the fruit business you can make no 

 mistake to buy a few acres in southeastern Nebraska, setting it largely 

 to grapes and if you put same care and attention acre for acre as 

 Western fruit growers do the net returns will be larger. Stand up for 

 southeastern Nebraska as being as good a fruit section as is found 

 in these United States of ours. 



HOW TO SELECT APPLES FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES. 



R. F. HOWARD, DEPAETMENT OF HORTICULTUKE, tJNr\"ERSITT FARM. 



The appearance of our fruit exhibits would be raised considerably 

 and more prize money would go to men who really have fruit of merit 

 if a little more attention were paid to selecting the fruit. It is. pre 

 supposed that the fruit one exhibits is the best he has. Unfortunately, 

 this is not always true. Too often men go into their orchards or cellars 

 for exhibition fruit with nothing more in mind than to select the 

 largest and perhaps the reddest specimens they can find. Apples 

 selected in this manner are no more apt to take first place at an apple 



