Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-02
EMPIRE APPLE STATE.
Missouri Now Has First Place
In the List.
RICH YIELD PREDICTED FOR 1908.

The Orchards Bid Fair to Produce
Double the Value of the Wheat
CrOp-Five Trees to Every Inhabit-
ant of the State-OnIy One-tenth OF
Available Land Yet Planted.
Westward the course of the apple
empire takes its way. Missouri now
ter was held by New York. says Co
lumbia (AIo) dispatch to the Kansas
City Star. The apple crop of Missouri
for 1903 will be. at ordinary prices.
$20,0O0,00O. The wheat crop sells in
average years at $12,000.OO0. If the
apple crop yields what is now es-
timated by n. F. hurry of Holt coun-
ty and other officers of the Missouri
State Horticultural society. 1t will al
most double the wheat crop in value.
There are 100000 apple trees in the
state, and 81 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
100000 more than in any other state
and twice as many as ten years ago.
L. A. Goodman. secretary of the Mis-
souri, State Horticultural society, says
that despite the great acreage only
one-tenth of Missourrs 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. ]. G.
Written. professor of horticulture in
the State university, indorseS Mr..
Goodman's views.
"In an ordinary year." continued Mr..
Goodman, 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
if they are to remain alive. l would
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. If 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 its color we'll. A carload of
Ben Davis apples shipped from Mis-
souri, to Berlin sold there at Sc 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 boFes into the
roots. It's antics are so different among
Missouri orchards from that of which
it is guilty in New York that scientists
for 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 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 be
worth more, Ninety-fve per cent of the
root rot in apple trees is occasioned BY
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 2oO, 100000
apple trees in the state. At dollar a
tree the annual yield would be $780,
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 ben.
A Startling Test.