66 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



barrel it up and put it on the market. Such fruit as this ought to be 

 kept out of the market, and a man who will insist upon putting on the 

 market such a fruit as this ought to be absolutely put out of the market 

 also. 



There are various conditions which need to be carefully studied in 

 the selection of 



LOCALITIES FOR FRUIT GROWING. 



Not only should the soil be carefully studied in relation to its fertil- 

 ity; and in relation to its elevation; and in relation to its possibilities for 

 drainage; but we should study atmospheric conditions as well as those 

 of the soil. Undoubtedly one of the great lessons to be learned from 

 the present calamity to our peach industry this year will be the danger 

 that follows attempting to grow peaches where the atmospheric condi- 

 tions are not congenial to them. 



It was my privilege to spend a week in the land of the big red apples — 

 in the Ozark mountain region. I discovered a peculiarly fine condition of 

 the bark of not only fruit trees, but also of the forest trees, and my 

 observations led me to the belief that in this Ozark mountain region there 

 is a peculiarly genial fruit atmosphere. When riding through that great 

 country, and coming in sight of block after block of Ben Davis apples — 

 covering one hundred acres in solid blocks — I became thoroughly con- 

 vinced that the apple growers of New York, or of Michigan, or any of 

 our northern states had better forego the planting extensively of this 

 variety of apples, for two reasons. (1) That there are enough Ben Davis 

 apples grown in Missouri to supply the whole country; and (2) the Ben 

 Davis could be grown better there than anywhere else in the country. 

 While it has been an apple that has sold remarkably well, the time is 

 coming when, from the fact of its recognized poor qualities, it will be 

 rejected in many markets, and hence it is not wise for those in our north- 

 ern states, who can grow apples of the very finest and highest quality, 

 to attempt to put their lands and orchards in competition in this variety 

 with the very extensive plantings of orchards in other sections where 

 the climate is congenial to giving them the best quality that can be put 

 in the Ben Davis apple. 



I believe it is possible, through the propagation upon the hardier stock, 

 for us to again grow the choicest, perhaps, of all apples in the list — the 

 Spitsenberg. I believe it will be possible for us to grow that beautiful, 

 high-flavored, Johnathan, if we will properly select and propagate upon 

 the vigorous Northern Spy stump, and the more we can place before pur- 

 chasers and consumers fruits of such qualities as these the more rapidly 

 we shall increase the consumptive demand for our apples. 



We are being pressed by competition very rapidly from the Pacific 

 coast. The Pacific coast fruit growers being removed several thousand 

 miles from the best markets of the world, have been forced to study out 

 most carefully the best methods for marketing their fruits, and by their 

 very careful system of grading; by putting their choice fruits in uniform 

 packages, so that buyers know exactly what they are purchasing in 

 quantity and quality, their fruits are meeting with most popular sale 

 everywhere in the markets of the world. And one of our urgent present 

 demands is for us to study more carefully our methods of marketing that 

 we may put up our fruits better graded; that we may put them in more 



