1024 



MISSOURI 



MITCHELLA 



pheric drainage. Tho soil varies Itoih the light, deep 

 tlinty soil of the Ozarks, and the drift of the "loess" 

 formation isee Iowa), to the rich soil of the prairie open- 

 ings and still heavier soils of the river bottoms, and tho 

 swamp lands to tho soutlieast, affording choice for dif- 

 ferent purposes. The immense crops of corn and gar- 

 den vegetables, sometimes grown in young orchards, 

 and the clover and cow peas, grown to prevent washing 

 of the soil in steep hillsidn orchards, prove (perhaps 

 too frequently), that even the so-called "fruit lands" 

 are capable of yielding a great variety of products. In 



1411. Ben Davis (Xli). 

 One of the "liig rod apples" of tlie Ozarks. 



fact, one great reason why Missouri has not earlier 

 taken front rank as a fruit state is because natural con- 

 ditions for general agriculture are too favorable. It re- 

 quires too great an effort to exclude tlie encroaching 

 blue grass and live stock froni orchard areas where 

 thrifty young trees fruit themselves to death in the 

 unequal struggle for existence and the reproduction of 

 their kind. 



The last report of the Missouri State Horticultural 

 Society {1897) contains Secretary Goodman's estimate 

 of the quantity and value of fruit produced in the state 

 that year, as follows: Apples — north Blissouri, 2,500,000 

 barrels; central Missouri, 3,500,000; south Missouri, 

 .3,000,000; total value of apples, $12,000,000. Peaches 

 —north Missouri, 500,000 bushels; central Missouri, 

 1, 000,000; south Missouri, 2, 000, 000 ;totalvalue of peaches, 

 $3,500,000. Total value of berries, $2,500,000. Total 

 value of pears, cherries, plums and gnipes, $1,500,000. 

 These, with nuts and misoollaneous fruits, reach a total 

 value of $20,000,000 for tho IMissouri fruit crop for 1897. 

 This report is based \i\>on figures obtained from tho 

 various railroads and shippers, and may be relied upon 

 as being approximately correct. Considering the fact 

 that a few years ago Missouri could hardly lay claim to 

 being a great fruit-producing state, the above figures 

 indicate very rapid growth of the industry in recent 

 years. In 1898 more young trees were planted than 

 in any previous year, showing an accelerating tendency 

 toward this line of business. A number of orchards in 

 the state comprise over one thousand acres each. Tho 

 size and number of these large orchards is annually be- 

 ing increased. 



It will be seen that the apple is the leading fruit, ex- 

 ceeding in value all other kinds combined. Careful 

 study shows that other things being equal, the best 

 prices prevail in those parts of the state where the most 

 apples are grown, and where, consequently, there is tho 

 sharpest competition among buyers. The peach ranks 

 second in importance, and the berries third. The city of 

 Sarcoxie shipped 239 car-loads of strawberries in 1S97, 



and now 1,500 acres of strawberries are growing in its 

 immediate vicinity. Liberal is one of tlie largest black- 

 berry centers. Hermann and several points in the Ozarks 

 numufacture large quantities of grape wine. 



Aside from the work cf the Agricultural College and 

 Experiment Station in the promulgation of horticul- 

 tural work, the Missouri Botanical Garden at St. Louis 

 being of international influence and importance, cannot 

 fail, with its splendid equipment and able management, 

 to lend an especially strengthening influence to the hor- 

 ticulture of the state in which it is located. The Mis- 

 souri State Horticultural Society, with nearly one hun- 

 dred local societies as auxiliaries, under the competent 

 leadership of its officers and organized effort of its 

 members, is doing much toward the development of hor- 

 ticulture. 



While horticulture is already one of tho leading in- 

 terests of Blissouri, the possibilities of the state in that 

 direction have not yet even been approached. Only a 

 small portion of the soil naturally v>'q\\ adapted to fruit 

 culture has ever been cultivated, and there are many 

 phases of horticulture that have not been developed. 

 In recent years, however, steps in advance are rapidly 

 being taken. The best growers no longer cling to an- 

 cient traditions and obsolete practices, but are evolving 

 methods adapted to the new conditions of the West. 

 Capitalists of extensive bnsiness training are invest- 

 ing in orchards, and their business ability, combined 

 with the skill of the practical grower, is resulting in 

 better marketing and general management of the in- 

 dustry. New varieties, better adapted to local conditions, 

 are being originated. Our native fruits and nuts are 

 receiving attention, and improved varieties of these are 

 already the result. The working up of surplus and in- 

 ferior fruit by canning, evaporating, cider and wine- 

 making and distilling Is increasing the value of tho 

 fruit product, and the canning of tomatoes, peas and 

 other garden vegetables is quite extensively carried on 

 in some sections. In fact, the horticulture of the state 

 is in a rapidly growing condition, and bids fair to reach 

 very important proportions. j^ q^ Whitten. 



MISTLETOE of the Old World is Viscvm album; of 

 America, Fhoradendron flavescens . 



MITCHfiLLA (Dr. John Mitchell, of Virginia, one of 

 the first American botanists; correspondent of Lin- 

 meus). Buhlaceo?. This includes the Partridge-berry, 

 one of the prettiest and hardiest of native perennial 

 trailers. It has small, shining, evergreen, roundish Ivs., 

 sometimes marked with M'hite lines, and bright scarlet 

 l)erries, often borne in pairs, which remain all winter 

 and make a charming effect when peeping through the 

 snow. This plant can be easily collected, and is also 

 procurable from many dealers in hardy plants. It 

 thrives under evergreen trees, forming dense mats. 

 The fls., which are b(U'ne in spring, are small, white, 

 with pinkish throai,s, and are fragrant. The berries are 

 odible, but nearly tasteless. Pis. twin, tho ovaries 

 united into one ; calyx 4-toothed; corolla funnel-shaped, 

 ■l-lobcd; lobes spreading, densely bearded inside, val- 

 vatc in the bud: fr. n. 2-eyed berry. 



1412. Partridgc-berry— Mitchella repens (X?^)- 



ripens, Linn. Paktkidge-berry. Squaw-berry. Fig. 

 1412. Lvs. opposite, roun<l-ovatc, petioled, with minute 

 stipules: fls. in pairs, on the apex of a peduncle. Nova 

 Scotia to Minn., south to Fla. and Tex. G.W. P. 42. 

 D. 81. Mn. 3:49. Ij. B. G. ]0:979.-Attractivo in half- 

 shaded spots in the wild garden and rockeries. Propa- 

 gated by division of roots. 



J\T. ovCUa, DC, from Kouudnr, is tho only other species. It liaa 

 stilit.ary. sossilo fls., and ovate, acutish lvs. Not cult. 



M. B. COULSTON. 



