The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-05
EMPIRE APPLE STATE.
Missouri Now Has First Place
In the List.
RIoH YIELD PREDICTED FOR 1903.

8lVd 4lGlU f66UlUIEU kOh l0Uo.
The Orchards Bid Fair to Produce
Double the Value Of the Wheat
Crep-Five Trees to Every Inhabit-
ant Of the ~State-Only One-tenth Of
Available Land Yet Planted.
Westward the course Of the apple
empire takes it's way. Missouri now
leads where a few days ago the scep-
ter was held by New York, says a Co
lumbia (Mo.) dispatch to the Kansas
City Star. The apple crop Of Missouri
for 1903 will be, at ordinary prices,
$20,OOO,OOO. The wheat crop sells in
average years at $12,OOO,OOO. II the
apple crop yields what is now es-
tmated by N. r. hurry Of Holt coun-
y and other officers Of the Missouri
State Horticultural society. it will al
most double the wheat crop in value.
There are 100000 600 apple trees in the
state. and 81 a tree is the estimated
yield.
Missouri three years ago ranked fifth
In apple orchards among the states.
Twenty million apple trees. five trees
for every man, woman and child in the
state, are now growing in Missouri.
100000 nor than in any other state
and twice as many as ten years ago.
Z. A. Goodman, secretary of the Mis-
souri, State Horticultural society, says
that despite the great acreage only
one-tenth of Missouri's available or
chard lands have yet been planted.
Apple growing, according to Mr.. Good
man, Is the most profitable class Of
horticultural pursuit in Missouri. j. G..
Written, professor of horticulture in
the State university. indorses Mr..
Goodman's views.
lin an ordinary year." continued MI.
Goodman, 1.-The orchardist will not lose
! per cent of his apple crop. The anna
teur is too apt to dig 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 Of tree and is as
necessary as that fish be kept in water
II tAOy AlS ~ Clu0xu d1kVVe i "OuAO
give this as the secret Of success in the
cultivation Of trees: Handle carefully
before planting. Do not expose to the
air, and plant in good soil. II these
rules are followed. the trees will grow"
The king of Missouri apples is the
Ben Davis. 1t is firm, Of good shape
and holds it's color we'll. A carload Of
Ben Davis apples shipped from. Mis-
souri, to Berlin sold there at Sc a BUSH
ell. A Missourian found Ben Davis ap-
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
Gano, Jonathan. Winesap, Mammoth
Black Twig, York Imperial. Clayton,
Ingram and Rams Golden.
The profits Of apple culture in Mis-
souri, would have been larger except
for the ravages Of the woolly aphis 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 bores into the
roots. Its antics are so different among
Missouri orchards from that of which
1t is guilty in New York that scientists
for a long time thought it was a differ
ent species of insect pest. j. NJ. Stead.
man. professor of entomology in the
Missouri State university, however, dis
covered that the insect was not two,
but one, leading a kind Of DIR. Jekyl
and Mr.. Hyde existence.
The Missouri river is the dividing
line for the enemies of apple orchards.
In northern counties little damage is
by the insects. In the land
Df the big red apple, however, the
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
70 Missouri orchardists and will be
worth more. N~inety-five per cent Of the
'oot rot in apple trees is accustomed by
The twig insect.
Noe n more orchards are planted
zach year. When the unoccupied land
AVAILABLE for apple orchards in Missou-
/ is planted, there will be 200. OOO, 900
apple trees in the state. AT a dollar a
rec the annual yield would be $780,
100000 or an amount almost fabulous
IS compared with the scattering and
thousands yielded by the APP
lie trees in Missouri a few years ago.
The Missouri apple will soon have a
PLACE with the Missouri mule and the
Missouri hen.
4 Historic Bsildins to Come Down.