NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2249 



ing age in 1910 numbered 71,4(34; those not of bciuitig 

 age, 102,043. The production of figs in 1909 was 2,025,- 

 30S pounds,, valued at $S7,009. Other tropical fruits 

 produced were: 3,340 boxes of mandarins, vahied at 

 $"),\)4,'); 1,781 boxes of pomelos (grapefruit), valued at 

 $4,069; 303 boxes of lemons, vakied at S713; and 300 

 boxes of tangerines, valued at $500. 



Of the vegetables grown in Louisiana, the sweet 

 potato and yam are of most importance. From an acre- 

 age of 56,953, in 1909, there were jiroduced 4,251,086 

 bushels, valued at $2,357,729. The production of pea- 

 nuts from 25,020 acres was 412,037 bushels, valued at 

 $422,232; the production of potatoes from 19,(555 acres 

 was 1,183,525 bushels, valued at .$924,311. Other 

 vegetables produced were: 1,962 acres of cabbage, 

 valued at $208,678; 2,909 acres of onions, valued at 

 $147,377; 515 acres of lettuce, valued at .S94,321; 1,278 

 acres of watermelons, valued at $69,386; and sweet 

 corn, 1,218 acres, valued at $62,060. Vegetables of 

 less importance were green beans, beets, cantaloupes 

 and muskmelons, carrots, cucumbers, okra, parsley, 

 green peas, green peppers, radishes, spinach, tomatoes 

 and turnips. 



The acreage devoted to the production of flowers and 

 plants increased from 89 in 1899 to 227 in 1909. The 

 total area under glass in 1909 was 347,473 square feet, 

 of which 260,711 were covered by greenhouses and 

 8(),762 by sashes and frames. The value of the products 

 in 1909 was $126,212, as compared with $76,628 in 1899. 



The acreage occupied in the production of nursery 

 products increased from 276 in 1899 to .502 in 1909, an 

 increase of 81.9 per cent. The value of the products for 

 the same time increased from $63,593 in 1899 to $87,643 

 in 1909. George L. TiEBOtiT.t 



Oklahoma. 



At present, the horticulture of Oklahoma (Fig. 2522) 

 is but poorly developed. The reason for the state being 

 backward in fruit-growing and vegetable-raising is 

 because of the short length of time since the common- 

 wealth was first settled. The first part of Oklahoma 

 was thro\vn open to settle- 

 ment in 1889. Other sections 



adjoining were opened to coloradoi 



entry from time to time until I ■ ; 



1908, when the old territory I ; ; 



of Oklahoma was combined ' '■ 



with Indian Territory to 



form the present state. "Even ^ >— ^ i— ^ '° ° 



today, much of the Indian sr.rurs^^.s 



land is still held in reserve, 



but is gradually being allotted, and the surplus sold to 

 white settlers. This means that, agriculturally, the 

 oldest part of Oklahoma is only twenty-three years 

 old, and that the remainder is much younger. Since it 

 is a well-recognized fact that friiit- and vegetable- 

 growing are industries of old established, rather than of 

 young jjioneer neighborhoods, this alone would account 

 for the hick of this development in this state. 



That there are many sections of Oklahoma which are 

 destined eventually to depend chiefly on fruit-growing 

 as a means of livelihood wiH not be doubted by those 

 who investigate its climatic and soil conditions. Many 

 neighborhoods in those parts of .\rkansas, Missouri, 

 and eastern Kansas which lie contiguous to Oklahoma 

 are notably well adapted to fruit-growing, and there is 

 every reiuson for presuming that neither soil nor climate 

 varies materially on crossing the state line. Many of 

 the fniit sections of Oklahoma are embraced in the old 

 Indian Territory, and are consequently the newest part 

 of the state. 



It is manifest from the above statements that no 

 Census reports of crops produced in this stat« are of 

 any present value, except that of 1910, and that this 

 is only of limited application. 



There is httle question but that Oklahoma is on the 

 southern border of the apple-growing region. While one 

 would not wish to say that it is impossible for market 

 varieties to be produced which will be adapted to this 

 southern country, they are imknown ti)da>'. The pressing 

 need of the apple-growers is for later and better-keeping 

 varieties. Sorts like the Ben Davis, Jonathan, Missouri 

 Pippin, and other standards of Kansas, Missouri and 

 Illinois, ripen in late September or early October there, 

 but in Oklahoma they are fviUy mature in early Sep- 

 tember. At this time the weather is still very warm and 

 decay will frequently set in at once. This means that 

 the Oklahoma grower must either depend on cold 

 storage from the start or el.se confine himself wholly 

 to the local market. On this account, apple-growing 

 has hardly reached a commercial phase in any part of 

 Oklahoma, although there is no question but that there 

 are certain neighborhoods in tlie eastern part of the 

 state which are very well adapted to the production 

 of this fruit. 



Commercial peach-growing is much more promising 

 than the growing of any other fruit. It is difficult to ' 

 say exactly where the peach districts are. In very 

 favorable years, good crops of this fruit are secured in 

 sections well into the western part of the state. These 

 western neighborhoods, however, are not as certain 

 producers of peaches as those farther east. It is prob- 

 able that the eastern and .southeastern part of Okla- 

 homa comprises most if not all of the sections which are 

 so well adapted to peach-raising that this will become 

 the predominant industry. This is not only because 

 this region has the characters that adapt it to the 

 growing of peaches, but also because it has not the char- 

 acters which make it good for general farming. For it 

 has been observed everywhere that no country goes 

 into fruit-raising so unreservedly as those which cannot 

 make a good living any other way. Much of the hmd 

 in the eastern part of OUahoma belongs to what is 

 known as the Ozark country. These Ozarks are a 

 rough tableland, characterized generally by a rather 

 thin soil. This thinness of soil, combined with the 

 roughness, puts the grain-raiser at a disadvantage as 



2522. Oklahoma, showing horticultural divisions of the state. 



compared with the raiser of fruit. This is the newest 

 part of Oklahoma and much of it is still in the hand.s of 

 the Indian owners, and some of the most interesting 

 orchards belong to these people. It only needs the 

 presence of experienced fruit-growers to change many 

 of these neighborhoods from poor one-horse grain- 

 and pig-farming sections to profitable fruit-raising 

 (listricts. Unfortunately, during the hist few years, 

 wlien this country h;is been settling, fniit-raising has 

 been so profitable in other states that there has been 



