2194 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



apples and grapes, hybrid plums, raspberries, and black- 

 berries are being successfully planted, though not yet 

 in sufficient quantity to supply the local demand. 



The most favorable regions for the apple are found 

 in the southwest and southeast along the Missouri, 

 Mississippi and Des Moines rivers, where the so-called 

 "bluff deposits" have their greatest development. 

 This is a light-colored, porous soil which endures 

 drought and flood, and is especially friendly to the 

 apple, the cherry, and the grape, and, in fact, all fruits 

 of the region. The leading varieties of apples in the 

 older commercial orchards are Jonathan, Grimes, Ben 

 Davis, Gano, Winesap and Black Twig, probably 

 ranking in value according to the order named. Of 

 late, Delicious, Stayman, and Ingram have been very 

 freely planted in the southern part; while in the north, 

 Wealthy, Malinda, and Northwestern Greening are 

 most prominent. Spraying is generally carried on in 



VISCONSIN OK I FT 



K>WAN OK/rr ~^SOVTHERN IOWA 



2502. Iowa, showing the soil areas. 



the larger centers but clean tillage in the older orchards 

 is rather the exception than the rule. 



The sour cherry occupies second place in Iowa fruits 

 and promises most rapid development. Especially 

 successful wherever the loess soil is found, it does not 

 reach commercial importance beyond latitude 42.5 

 (Sioux City and Dubuque) on the west and east of 

 the state, the line of success dropping about 1 of 

 latitude southwardly in the center of the state, where 

 the newer drift has overlaid the loess. By reason of 

 the failure of cherry in the northern half of the state, 

 there is a splendid market, practically inexhaustible, 

 at good margin, for all surplus cherries grown in the 

 southern half. Early Richmond is by far the most 

 valuable, with Montmorency second and English 

 Morello third. Sweet cherries do not succeed. 



The plum, while of considerable annual value, is 

 not strictly a commercial fruit of Iowa. Being the 

 native home of a large number of pure americana 

 varieties, this class of course finds its greatest develop- 

 ment within the state, especially the northern part. 

 Of these, Terry, De Soto, Wyant, Hawkeye, Wolf and 

 Hammer remain most prominent, with Wild Goose 

 leading the Chickasaw or narrow-leaf type. The 

 many fine hybrid plums promise to bring Iowa forward 

 as one of the principal plum-growing sections of the 

 Middle West. 



The culture of the peach, domestica and Japanese 

 plums does not reach north much beyond latitude 41.5, 

 though it is pushing steadily northward by the adop- 

 tion of newly introduced seedling varieties. The peach 

 is developing considerable commercial importance in 

 the extreme southern part, while the domestica and 

 Japanese plums are decreasing in favor owing to the 

 lack of hardiness and strong tendency to rot. 



Pears, while rather freely planted throughout the 

 loess soil sections of the state, have become commer- 

 cially prominent only in a few limited areas, notably 

 the bluffs along the river south of Des Moines and near 

 the eastern border from Davenport southward. The 

 largest individual pear orchard at present includes over 

 100 acres, owned by B. A. Matthews, of Knoxville, 

 largely Kieffer, from which eight to fifteen carloads 

 are shipped annually. Generally, however, the soil is 

 found too heavy for successful pear-culture; only the 

 thin-soiled bluffs and hillsides 

 can be recommended for pear 

 orchards, and these must be 

 seeded down and sometimes 

 root-pruned to prevent disas- 

 trous blight. 



Practically all parts of the 

 state can produce good grapes, 

 though the centers of commer- 

 cial vineyards are largely con- 

 fined to the regions surrounding 

 Council Bluffs on the west and 

 Des Moines in the central part. 

 Concord, Moore Early and Wor- 

 den comprise fully 90 per cent 

 of the planting, the Concord 

 proving most reliable, Moore 

 Early generally most profitable 

 an acre. 



Next to sour cherry and hybrid 

 plums, the most rapid advance- 

 ment is now being made in the 

 planting of the blackcap rasp- 

 berries. About fifteen years ago, 

 thousands of acres were devoted 

 to this fruit throughout the 

 south central belt of the state, 

 but low prices, due to an un- 

 developed market and the gen- 

 eral spread of the anthracnose 

 fungus disease, discouraged fruit- 

 growers. Plantations destroyed by the disease were 

 not replanted, causing a decided decrease in raspberry- 

 production. Prices have since been going steadily 

 upward until now with prospect of netting from $200 to 

 $350 an acre annually with favorable seasons and good 

 care, rather extensive planting is again resumed. On 

 account of the excellent outlet to the north for surplus 

 fruit, besides a splendid home market, it is likely that 

 Des Moines will remain the principal raspberry center. 

 Cumberland first, with Gregg a close second, and Kan- 

 sas for early fruit, constitute the bulk of the planting. 

 Shallow cultivation and summer mulch to protect 

 against drought at harvest time, bring best results. 



The fruits which have been and are likely to remain 

 most prominent commercially over the state are the 

 apple, the cherry, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries. 

 Almost without exception, the perishable fruits are 

 grown in greatest volume near the large market centers 

 of the state, the only prominent exception being in the 

 case of cherries and grapes extensively grown for annual 

 shipment to northern and northwestern markets, 

 extending into Minnesota and the Dakotas. The three 

 principal centers of commercial cherry- and grape- 

 culture are: (1) along the Missouri Payer, on the west, 

 from Sioux City down to the Missouri line; (2) along 

 the Mississippi and some of its Iowa tributaries, from 

 Davenport southward; and (3) in the vicinity of Des 



