MISSISSIPPI 



itable than is the growing of fruits. Field plantings of 

 radishes, peas and other hardy sorts begin in January. 

 Shipments begin by the first of March and continue un- 

 til the melon crop is harvested in July. The first crop 

 of Irish potatoes, mostly Early Ohio and Triumph, is 

 ready for market in May, and in August a second crop 

 is often planted which matures in November, when it 

 finds a ready home market, or is left in the ground until 

 early spring, when it is placed on the northern markets 

 as "new potatoes just received from Bermuda," and 

 brings a high price. This second crop, however, is un- 

 certain, as it is difficult to secure a prompt growth if 

 seed from the early crop is used, and it is often impos- 

 sible to secure northern seed so late in the season. 

 Sweet potatoes are grown in all parts of the state, and 

 are shipped from July until March. Asparagus is a 

 profitable early crop which is grown quite largely in the 

 central district, and seems wholly free from rust or 

 other diseases. Rhubarb is unable to endure the heat 

 of the long summer, and the roots soon decay. Beans, 

 beets, cabbages, peas, radishes and turnips are all grown 

 so largely as to be shipped in car-load lots from a num- 

 ber of towns in the northeastern and central districts. 

 The crop grown more widely than any other is the 

 tomato, which is grown in all parts of the state, and 

 which is shipped by the car-load to all parts of the 

 country from Boston to St. Paul, Omaha and Denver. 

 Many single growers ship by car-lots, and in June from 

 10 to 20 cars are shipped daily from Crystal Springs, 

 with nearly as many from Madison Station and 

 Booneville, besides smaller shipments from many 

 other points. 



From the central district, shipments are made 

 about as follows: 



Beans, May 10 to June 10. 

 Beets, April 20 to June 15. 

 Cabbage, May 1 to June 5. 

 Carrots, April 20 to June 10. 

 Melons (Gem), June 20 to July 20. 

 Peaches, June 1 to August 1. 

 Peas, March 25 to April 25. 

 Potatoes, Irish, May 10 to June 15. 

 Radishes, March 1 to April 15. 

 Squash, Summer, May 15 to June 15. 

 Strawberries, April 1 to May 10. 

 Turnips, March 20 to May 15. 

 Tomatoes, May 25 to July 4. 

 Watermelons, July 1 to August 1. 



There are a number of canneries in the state, 

 the most successful being those at Booneville 

 and Biloxi, but ordinarily growers find it more 

 profitable to ship products to northern markets 

 than to sell at prices which canners can afford. 



No statistics are available on which definite 

 statements of the total shipments from the state 

 can be based. Crystal Springs, in the central dis- 

 trict, probably ships more than any other single 

 point. The shipments of fruits and vegetables 

 from that place amounted to 638 cars in 1898, 

 while in the very unfavorable season of 1899 the 

 number fell to about 400. Partial reports from 

 other points indicate that shipments, in car-lots 



MISSOURI 



1023 



The wild American crab and the Juneberry, capable of 

 enduring the rigors of a northern winter, flourish here 

 in the same forests with the more southern persimmon 

 and papaw. The northern grapes of the Labrusca type, 

 like Concord, are among the standard varieties, while 

 on the other hand, the more tender Vitis rotundifolia, 

 of which the southern Scuppernong is the most familiar 

 cultivated sort, grows wild in the rich river bottoms. 

 While the berries and small fruits common to the north- 

 ern states endure well the warmer climate of Missouri, 

 the oriental persimmon and English walnut are hardy as 

 far north as the central part of the state. 



Missouri's central position is also favorable to the 

 marketing of her fruit. Berries and peaches are sent to 

 nearly all the principal markets east of the Rocky moun- 

 tains from Boston and Baltimore on the east to Omaha, 

 Denver and Pueblo on the west, and from St. Paul and 

 Detroit on the north to Mobile, New Orleans and Galves- 

 ton on the south. The grain-raising, mining and graz- 

 ing states to the west and northwest, where but little 

 fruit is produced, furnish a growing market for Missouri 

 fruit. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers, touching 

 the entire length and breadth of the state, give cheap 

 freight rates north, south and northwest, while direct 

 railroad connection with the Gulf ports affords cheap 

 shipments of apples to European markets. 



The following figures give the average monthly rain- 

 fall in inches for the past six years, recorded at Columbia 

 bv the U. S. Weather Bureau: 



1410. Missouri. 



The diagonal shading in the southern half designates the Ozark up- 

 lift The double-line shading along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers 

 shows the loess formation. The short-line cross-shading designates 

 the parts where fruit-growing is much developed. 



amount to not less than 5,000 cars annually, in addition 

 to nearly as much more which is shipped in small lots. 

 The northeastern and central districts ship principally 

 to northern markets, while the Gulf coast district finds 

 its markets in Mobile, New Orleans, and on the many 

 foreign vessels loading in Ship Island harbor. Nearly 

 the entire business has been developed in the last 15 

 years, and each succeeding year shows a marked in- 

 cr^ase in its volume. New localities are being opened, 

 the work is becoming better organized, and, with the 

 increase of the business the markets are becoming 

 more steady, prices more uniform, and the profits more 

 satisfactory than in the early days. The business has 

 by no means reached its full development, and will not 

 do so for years to come. S. M. TRACY. 



MISSOURI HORTICULTURE. Fig. 1410. Its central 

 position gives Missouri a medium climate, favorable to 

 the growth of a variety of horticultural products. The 

 native flora embraces both northern and southern plants. 



Jan 1.89; Feb., 2.57; March, 2.97; April, 4.52; May, 

 587- June, 4.56; July, 4.85; Aug., 2.81; Sept., 3.60; 

 Oct., 1.40; Nov., 2.87; Dec., 2.02. 



While these figures show that the rainfall is ample, 

 and well distributed throughout the year, the records 

 also show that the percentage of sunny days in this im- 

 mediate section is high. During August, September 

 and October especially, when most of our fruit is ma- 

 turing, the average amount of bright sunlight is con- 

 siderably higher than that of the majority of our orchard 

 states. No doubt the intense sunlight and proximity to 

 the airy prairies are important factors in producing the 

 rich color and high flavor of Missouri fruit, and may 

 also account, in part, at least, for its comparative free- 

 dom from many of the fungous diseases which are 

 known to thrive best in a moist, cloudy atmosphere. 



The topography and soil of the state are koth^favor- 



by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tribu- 

 taries, are amply provided with both soil and atmos- 



65 



