NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2205 



$12,018; 212 acres of watermelons, valued at $10,625; 

 and 62 acres of tomatoes, valued at $4,335. Vegetables 

 of lesser importance produced in 1909 were: asparagus, 

 green beans, cantaloupes and muskmelons, pop-corn, 

 green peas, and turnips. 



The acreage devoted to the growing of flowers and 

 plants increased from 11 in 1899 to 19 in 1909. The 

 total acrea under glass in 1909 was 101,460 square feet, 

 of which 92,240 were covered by greenhouses, and 

 9,220 by sashes and frames. The value of the flowers 

 and plants produced in 1909 was $50,008, as compared 

 with $3,260, in 1899. 



The acreage devoted to nursery products increased 

 from 200 in 1899 to 399 in 1909, when the production 

 was valued at $70,827, as compared with $12,866, 

 in 1899. N. E. HANSEN. 



Nebraska. 



The state of Nebraska (Fig. 2506) presents a variety 

 of horticultural conditions, owing to the varied topog- 

 raphy, the diversity of soil, and the wide range of 

 altitude and climate. The eastern part of the state is 

 rolling prairie, the great loess plains, broken and almost 

 rough, near the Missouri River. The soil is deep and 

 fertile and the undulating surface amply 

 provides both soil and atmospheric drain- 

 age. The central part of the state has a 

 more uniform surface but is subject to 

 a high rate of evaporation, owing to dry 

 winds. In the west-central part of the 

 state lie the sand hills where the soil is 

 very light, though many fertile valleys lie 

 between the hills, and the rate of evapora- 

 tion is equally high. South of the sand 

 hills are prairie lands or loess plains where 

 irrigation is practised to some extent. 

 South and west lie high prairies or the 

 Cheyenne plains. Several extensive or- 

 chards are grown here under irrigation. 

 To the north and west are the buttes and 

 "bad lands." The elevation of the south- 

 eastern part of the state is 850 feet at its 

 lowest point in Richardson County and averages 

 1,200 feet along the entire eastern part of the state 

 close to the Missouri River, while the extreme west- 

 ern part exceeds 5,000 feet. The rainfall gradually 

 decreases from east to west, as the elevation increases. 

 Nebraska is fortunate in that the rainfall is greatest 

 when most needed for agriculture, namely, April, May, 

 June and July. Because of the great diversity of con- 

 ditions, the State Horticultural Society has divided 

 the state into nineteen districts, as indicated on the 

 accompanying map, which are generally considered in 

 making recommendations for fruit-culture. 



Apples form the most important horticultural crop, 

 but, except under irrigation, are grown commercially 

 principally in the southeastern half of the state, known 

 as the Great Loess region. However, commercial orchard- 

 ing is gradually extending westward. Commercial 

 orcharding under irrigation is being carried on in the 

 central, southern, and western parts of the state, prin- 

 cipally in Lincoln, Scott's Bluff and Red Willow counties. 



District No. 1 is perhaps the best apple-growing 

 region of the state. Here is the natural home of the 

 Jonathan apple, where it attains its highest degree of 

 excellence. Other standard varieties thrive almost as 

 well. Perhaps more Ben Davis apples are shipped from 

 this section than from any other part of the state. The 

 rainfall is ample and well distributed throughout the 

 year. The large amount of bright sunlight during the 

 time when most of the fruit is ripening perhaps accounts 

 for the high color, good quality and excellent keeping 

 properties of Nebraska fruit. District No. 2 follows No. 

 1 so closely in amount and quality of apples grown that 

 the region might well be known as one district, the chief 



difference being that the former has a rougher surface, 

 higher altitude, and lies farther north, making injury 

 from frost more liable. Districts Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 

 11 and 12, while not so favorably located, lie within the 

 commercial apple district and produce immense quan- 

 tities of excellent fruit. Districts Nos. 9, 10, 13 and 14 

 require careful cultural methods, but with proper care 

 apples are grown successfully, though perhaps other 

 farm crops, with live-stock, will give larger returns 

 than commercial orcharding. However, the home 

 orchard, well cared for, is one of the greatest assets of 

 the farmstead. 



Throughout the remainder of the state, much care 

 must be exercised in the propagation of apples except 

 under irrigation, although there are many thriving 

 home-orchards. The dry seasons, prevailing light soil, 

 and cold winters, especially in the northwestern part of 

 the state, make winter-killing liable. 



The Winesap is the favorite commercial variety the 

 state over, with the Jonathan as a close second and Ben 

 Davis third. The dry weather of the last three seasons, 

 with the severe winter of 1911, and the severe attack of 

 Illinois canker has proved fatal to many Ben Davis 

 trees. The Jonathan apple is grown in the southern 

 part of the state, where it has attained a world-wide 



2506. Nebraska, showing the various areas or districts. 



reputation. Other varieties which thrive in this state 

 are: Summer Duchess, Yellow Transparent, Cooper's 

 Early White, Coles Quince, Early Harvest, Sweet June, 

 Red Astrachan, Chenango Strawberry, and Red June; 

 autumn Wealthy, Utter's Red, Maiden's Blush, Fulton 

 Strawberry, Flora Belle, Plum Cider, Fameuse, Porter 

 and McMahon's White; winter Gano, Windsor, 

 Grimes' Golden, Janet, Northwestern Greening, Black 

 Twig, Ingraham, Missouri Pippin and Iowa Blush. 



Pears are successfully grown throughout the south- 

 eastern part of the state, though few large commercial 

 orchards exist. The trees are liable to winter-kill if 

 planted too far north and west, while susceptibility to 

 fire blight is the controlling factor in the southeast. 

 The principal varieties are Kieffer, Bartlett, Sheldon, 

 Flemish Beauty and Seckel. 



Native plums thrive over the entire state while 

 European and Japanese varieties do well in the eastern 

 and southern parts. American varieties are, Wyant, 

 Wolf, Wild Goose, Forest Garden and DeSota; European 

 Lombara, Shipper's Pride, Green Gage, Shropshire 

 Damson; Japanese Burbank, Abundance and Wick- 

 son. 



Peach-growing, commercially, is confined to the 

 southeastern part of the state, where excellent crops are 

 occasionally produced. The greatest difficulty lies in 

 the late frosts which sometimes destroy the crops, and 

 the liability to winter-killing of the fruit-buds, though 

 some peaches are raised every year. Alexander, Early 

 Rivers, Triumph, Russel, Champion, Bokara, Crosby, 

 Hill's Chili, Heath Cling, Solway and Wright are the 

 principal varieties. 



Cherries thrive over the greater part of the state and 



