The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-04-16
EMPIRE APPLE STATE.
Missouri Now Has First Place
In the List.
RIoH YIELD PREDICTED FOR 1908.

The Orchards Hid Fair To Produc.
Double the Value OF the wheat
Crop-tive Trees TO Every Inhabit-
ant OF the state-OnIy one-tenth of
Available Land Yet Planted
Westward the course OF the apple
umpire takes its way. Missouri now
leads where few days ago the scep-
ter was held 10y New York. says Co
lumhia (Mo) dispatch to the Kansas
City star. The apple crop of Missouri
Tor 1903 Will be- AT ordinary prices.
$2oooO.OOO. The wheat crop sells i'm
average years at $l2.OOO.oOO. II the
apple crop yields what is now Is
tinated 10y y. + hurry OF Holt coun-
~ ana ether officers OF the Missouri
state Horticultural society. IL will al
most double the wheat crop in value
There are 2o.ooo.OOO apple trees in the
state. and 81 a tree is the estimated
yield.
Missouri three years ago ranked NTH
In apple orchards among the states
Twenty million apple trees. i've trees
for every man. woman and child in the
state. are now growing in Missouri
100000 more thHn I'm any other state
aud twice as many rs ten years ago.
l.. 4. Goodman. secretary Of the Mis-
souri, State Horticultural society. says
that despite the great acreage only
onc-tenth OF MlSsouris available or
chard lands have yet been planted
Apple growing. according to Mr.. Good
man. Is the most profitable class OF
horticultural pursuit I'm Missouri JC
Written. pro fc>>or ~ horticulture in
the State u,iN~.t v. indorscs Mr.
GOodman's vi,Ns
In IN or'liu ~ y..r." continued Mr.
Goodman. ~thr orcl cdist will not lose
! per cent II D. apple crop. The anna
tour Is too np; 10 dix and plant without
care. exposing the roots OF the tree To
the air before planting The roots
should be kept In the ground. This Is
true OF every variety 90 tree and l. as
necessary a. that fish he Kept In water
II they are To- remain au.c. would
give this as tie secret OF success in the
cultivation OF trees I. ldlc carefully
before p..ul.rc 10 not expose 10 the
air. and plant b. good soil. IL these
rules are followei the trees Will grow"
The king Of Missouri apples Is the
Ben Davis. Ii Is firm. of good shape
ana holds its color we'll. \ carload OF
Ben Davis apples shipped from Mis-
souri, to Rerlin sold there at ST. a bush
81. \ MisSou-ian found Ben Davis aD-
pies labeled Missouri" at a fruit ven.
der's stand on Inter den Linden In
Berlin. They sold at 10 cents each and
had kept their accustomed rich red col
or and sawdust flavor. Other apples
suitable for the Missouri climate are
iano. Jonathan. Winesap. Mammoth
Black Twig. York Imperial. Clayton.
Ingram aud Rams Golden.
The profits of apple culture In Mis-
souri, would have been larger except
for the ravages OF the woody aphls or
the apple root plant louise. Early In
April this Insect goes upon his destruc-
tive expeditions In other states this
plant louise attacks the limbs OF apple
trees. but in Missouri it borcs into the
roots. Its antics are 80 different among
Missouri orchar dS from that of which
Il + guilty In New York that scientists
for long time thought II was differ
fent species Of Insect pest. J. NJ Stead.
man. professor OF entomology in the
Missouri State university. however. dis
COY cred that the insect was not two.
but one. leading n kind OF Dr. Jekyl
and Mr.. Hyde existence
The Missouri river is the dividing
line for the enemies of apple orchards.
In northern counties little damage is
occasioned by the insects In the land
of the big red apple. however. the
woolly aphis and his kinsmen wrought
large destruction until Professor Stead.
man found that tobacco dust killed the
/ insect and fortified the soil. The dis
covery was worth millions of dollars
! to Missouri orchardists and will he
worth more. Ninety-five per cent of the
root rot In apple trees is occasioned bs
the twig insect
More and more orchards are planted
each year. When the unoccupied land
available for apple orchards in Nilsson
ri Is planted, there Will be 200. 600 900
apple trees III the state. At dollar a
tree the annual yield would be 5000
100000 or an amount almost fabulous
as compared with the scattering and
uncertain thousands yielded by the ap-
pie trees in Missouri a few years ago.
The Missouri apple will soon have a
place with the Missouri mule and the
Missouri hen
Historic Building to Come Down.