52 The Commercial Apple Industry 



begins the last week in June and is usually over by 

 August first. Winter apples are sold either in bulk or 

 in barrels. 



In some ways this extreme southern portion of Illinois 

 is a continuation of the Ozark uplift. The country is 

 somewhat mountainous and unlike northern Illinois. 

 The soil is rather thin and in general well suited for the 

 quick early growth of summer varieties. 



Mississippi Valley region of Illinois. 



Adams, Pike and Calhoun counties bordering on the 

 Mississippi River are responsible for the heavy produc- 

 tion of apples in western Illinois. Calhoun leads in ton- 

 nage shipped and a large part of its output goes down the 

 Mississippi River by boat. 



Conditions are dissimilar to those in the early apple 

 region in the southern part of the state. With the excep- 

 tion of Calhoun and Pike counties, land in western 

 Illinois is more typical of the prairie states. Calhoun 

 County apple production is being more than maintained 

 by new plantings. While the total acreage in the other 

 counties may have suffered more or less decrease from 

 1910 to 1918, a greater interest generally is exhibited 

 among the leading and strictly commercial growers. 

 Xearly 90 per cent of the acreage in this section is 

 sprayed, while for the state as a whole it is doubtful 

 whether 25 per cent of the acreage is sprayed. 



Leading varieties for this region are Ben Davis, Gano, 

 Jonathan, Grimes, Willow Twig and Winesap. Ben 

 Davis and Willow Twig predominate. Practically all 

 commercial apples are shipped in barrels. 



