The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-11-09
Orr Fruii Experiment s.slIoa.

We had very interesting talk thi
other day with MIR. NJ. Butlerheld. pro
prielGr Of the Lees Summit S,sr Nur
sery. who has charge Of the fruit ex
pertinent station started at this place
las, spring. in regard to It's progress
aud that Of Ghe nursery which ho pro,
poses 20 establish here, aud on which q
considerable start has already been
made. When the trees at the expert.
ment station were set out, the season
was rather uniNyorable: first. there
was too much rain, and second. hi.
was followed by Il long, severe drouih,
which retarded their growth; but not
outstanding this fact the trees and all
plants except strawberries have made
fine growth, much better than. could
be expected. The same is to be said
Of the trees intended for his nursery,
which were set out on the Foster iarm,
all OF them looking fine and healthy.
The experiment station Is intended
90 test the varieties best adapted to this
section OF the State, and the virtues OF
the many varieties at the station will
not be fully known until the trees come
iuio bearing, which will be two or three
years. Next spring AIR. Butiefheld
will extend the planting, making spo-
cialiy Of apples, peaehs, pears, plums,
cherries and grapes, rs the best com.
mercIal fruits. But though Il will takc
time to test all these fruits. Me-. But.
teriield has not been idle In endeayor.
ing to discover the varieties OF apples
thai produce the best results here. lie
and AIR. u. T.. King, general travelling
freight ageut Of the Missouri PacidC
railroad, have 10 the past two OF three
weeks travelled In buggy around Farm.
iagiob, bismarck, Arcadia aud Fredcr.
iektown, inspecting orchards, during
which time thoy made very liue col.
lection Of apples. The varieties which
seem to do tho best here are the lies
Davis, Gino, Missouri Pippin, Wine
Sap, Jonathan, He'd Limbcrtwig,
Smiths Cider, Small Romantic, and /
seeding called the Nixon, a very hna
variety which appears to have origi.
mated In this section. These are all
good commercial apples, and seem Il
DO at home Ia this soil and climate.
The specimens collected by thea az
all excellent, attractive ia appearance
and OF the fines, favor. These speci-
mems have been sent off fer exhibition
purposes to the following points: st.
Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, 81. 10
seph, Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska
and collection has been reserved for
exhibition at the winter session of the
Missouri Horticultural Society, which
meets at Princeton about the middle o.
December This exhibition of South,
csst Missouri fruit will be specially
looked after by Mr.. Bullcr6cld.
Mr.. Hultcriicld says the higher point.
over which he has bccu would provt
excellent for peaches, aud that pear.
seem 10 be nj home here. The reason
he is here, he says, is because he be.
iicyco the elements in the soil, possibly
the iron, give the apples tie fine colol
aud flavor which be finds they posses,
In this section, aud which arc superior
IN this respect to those he has found Al
any other point IN the United State
over which he has travelled; and he /,
more encouraged than ever to 90 ahead
with the experiment station and the .,
tabllshiug OF n nursery at Pennington.
ThiS judgment, cmanatins from q man
of Mr.. Buttcriield's ripe experience aud
successful fruit culture, is praise indeed
and ioreshadows the possibilities d
Southeast Missouri, at least til, part oI
it, as great future fruit producing
section.
Mir, Bui,crfcld observed two thing
in hi, travels over st. Francois aud adj
joining counties, against which hC
would warn fruit growers: lst. Tha
the orchards arc headed too high
The trees should be headed low, from
eighteen To two feet. I'd. The severe
prunngs to which they have been sub,
jeclcd. The less pruning the better