NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2197 



fonninp; tlie liills and tablelands overlooking the two 

 great rivers of the state. Wherever this loess oeeurs, 

 the worlil over, it is recognized as a typical fruit soil. 

 The light, deep, brownish red elay loam of the Ozark 

 uplift, containing suthcient sand and broken rock to 

 affonl excellent, drainage, is also an important fruit- 

 soil. Tlie extensive swamp region in the southeastern 

 part of the state is now being drained by the dredging 

 of an extensive ditch system and is bringing under 

 cultivation a large area of the very richest soil. This 

 is becoming one of the most important vegetable-pro- 

 ducing sections of the state. The growing of watermelons 

 especially has already reached important development. 

 Blodgett is said to be the largest watermelon shipping 

 point in the United States. The higher second bottom- 

 lands of the two great river-systems are also splendidly 

 adapted to the production of orchards and of truck- 

 crops. 



The census for 1900 credited Missouri with over 

 20,000,000 apple trees in her orchards. This was 3.3}^ 

 per cent more than were reported for any other state. 



2503. Missouri, to show horticultural regions. 



Something over 8,000,000 were reported in 1890, show- 

 ing an increase of over 12,000,000 apples trees in a 

 single decade. This was a larger number of apple trees 

 planted in a single decade in Missouri than were grow- 

 ing in the year 1900 in any other states, except three. 

 This enormous activity in apple-orchard development 

 resulted in putting out some of the largest orchards in 

 the world. Some of the Missouri orchards contain 

 upward of 2,000 acres, a considerable number are of 

 more than 1,000 acres in extent, and orchards of several 

 hundred acres each are quite usual in almost any of the 

 orchard districts of Missouri. This enormous planting 

 in .so short a period and largely in newly developed 

 regions has resulted in some of the plantings going out 

 on soil which has since proved to be unadapted to the 

 industry. Many of the larger orchards put out in newly 

 developed regions where insects and diseases had not 

 had opportunity to get a foothold produced profitable 

 crops early, but are too large to receive the care neces- 

 sary to protect them from insects and fungous diseases 

 which follow closely upon the march of orchard develop- 

 ment. For that reason, some of the larger orchards of 

 the state have perhaps not been so profitable as was 

 expected. On the other hand, this extensive pioneer 

 work in orcharding has been the means of shaping 

 profitable orcharding of today. It has helped to maj) the 

 successful orchard areas in contrast to those .soils less 

 adapted to the industry. It has shown the adaptation 

 of varieties to the state and the local adaptation of 



special varieties to the various districts within the 

 state. As a result, the conservative orchardist of today 

 is profiting by the experience of the pioneers whose 

 extensive efforts gave to the state the sobriquet of "The 

 Land of the Big Red Apple." 



The present status of orcharding in the state rests 

 upon a sound commercial basis. The grower knows the 

 adaptabihty of the difTerent soil formations and of the 

 various varieties. The present trend is toward the 

 planting of moderate-sized orchards to the varieties 

 which have been proved to be most profitable for the 

 neighborhood, and to the adoption of modern methods 

 of pruning, spraying, packing and marketing of fruit, 

 which is resulting in substantial profit. 



The state has a large and growing nursery interest. 

 The loess soil along the two great rivers and the richer 

 soils of the Ozark region produce especially fine nursery 

 stock. At Louisiana is located one of the pioneer nur- 

 series of the Mississippi Valley, which is now said to be 

 the largest nursery enterprise in the world. 



The Ozark .section and river hills produce exception- 

 ally fine yields and quality of tomatoes for canning 

 purposes. Canning factories prosper in various parts 

 of the state, the tomato being the leading product 

 canned. 



The southwest section of the state is a notable straw- 

 berry-producing region; Sarcoxie, Pierce City, Monett 

 and other towns adjacent are leading strawberry 

 shipping points. Some of these towns ship several 

 hundred carloads annually. 



About Canton, St. Joseph, and other points, exten- 

 sive pickle-producing interests have developed. The 

 production of cucumbers and other pickle-producing 

 plants is becoming a growing industry. In the north- 

 western section of the state large quantities of cucum- 

 bers are grown for seed. About St. Louis and vicinity, 

 the production of horse-radish is extensively devel- 

 oped. In St. Louis and Carroll counties, the produc- 

 tion of early potatoes for July shipment has reached a 

 prosperous development, and early potato-growing is 

 rapidly taking its place in the agriculture of the state. 



The floriculture interests of the state are large and 

 increasing. St. Louis and Kansas City have extensive 

 greenhouse enterprises, not only for local market, but 

 for shipment. At Lee's Summit is one of the largest 

 greenhouse plants in the country. Even in some of 

 the smaller cities, the production of flowers under glass 

 is in many cases more than supplying the local demand. 

 Roses, carnations, violets, bulbous plants, and bedding 

 plants are the leading crops, but many firms do a very 

 general business in plant-production. The region is 

 especially favorable for winter greenhouse work. The 

 proportion of sunny days is unusually high as compared 

 with other .sections of the country in which floriculture 

 hixs reached important proportions. Winter tempera- 

 tures are not severe. The light snow and comparative 

 freedom from ice obviates the difficulty experienced 

 in many other sections. 



Along the Missouri River hills are developed in the 

 loess soil formation numerous grape- and wine-produ- 

 cing centers. Herman particularly possesses very 

 extensive wine-cellars. 



W'ithin the past fifty years a notable number of 

 varieties of fruit have originated within the borders 

 of the state. It is interesting to note that- while up to 

 thirty years ago the varieties recommended by the state 

 were mostly of Atlantic coast or Euroi)can origin, the 

 present list of commercial varieties very largely origi- 

 nated either in Missouri or adjacent territory. Some of 

 these have been distinct additions in the way of local 

 adaptation — for instance, the Ingram ajjple originated 

 at Springfield, is the latest-blooming sort grown com- 

 mercially in the state, escaping late s])ring frosts, and 

 is perhaps the most important commercial variety for 

 the southern and western slopes of the Ozarks. The 

 amelioration of our native species of grapes has taken 



