Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-07
Iowan Wins Prize.

I 4 4 d I.
II noticed a clipping in your paper
from the Register and Leader and a
short comment by the Courier in re.
gard to the possibilities of Iowa in the
line of fruit growing Now / have been
in the nursery and orchard business
all my life. have been all over the
famous Ozark fruit region and in Mich
igan, and have also attended the Ma
tional Horticultural congress at Coun-
Gil Bluffs and will'say that Iowa did
not take back seat in any particular.
Mr.. Harrington of Williamsburg, Iowa
county, carried off the big prize. We
of southeast Iowa are living on soil
that is not surpassed for apple grow
ing in the world. When growers once
realize just what they can do with this
land there will be no moving to tho
west for fruit farms. Just as soon as
we can convince the people, and we
are making an effort in that direction
at present with the help Of the press
and commercial clubs. just SO soon
will our population increase rather
than decrease. The~west has adver.
tised and the people have invested in
the west, and profitably, too, with con-
ditions not as good as in southeast
Iowa. When we give the apples as
good care and put less than half the
expense on our orchards here as they
do in any part of the west, the profits
will be greater than in any part of the
west. We raise the best apples here In
the world; best color, best flavor, best
keepers, and altogether the best in the
world This fact is admitted by all who
have sampled our fruit. ;.
Should Boost Iowa.
"And if>once people can be per-
suaded Of these facts all this country
will be one vast orchard. Now to show
any one who needs to be shown, just
send them to me at Bonaparte, Iowa.
any time after April L., will take
pleasure in showing them 100 acres Of
apple and pear trees set out six years
that will produce this year consider
able fruit in case weather conditions
are favorable during the blooming per-
iod This orchard has had only fair
care, and is entirely too large to pro-
duce the best results. This Is not the
only orchard in this part, but is the
largest, and in the near future will net
the owners handsome revenue.
think we should boost Iowa and not
let the west get our citizens. who can
do better here THAI any place in the
west. The land along the bluffs of the
Des Moines river is better than any
land in the west. do not recommend
valley land for fruit, except small fruit,
but the white oak land will raise bet
ter apples than any,place have visited.
/ have had the orchard mentioned,
under my supervision ever since it was
set out and will be with 1t this year,
and 1t is practical demonstration Of
what can be done with Iowa soil can
show you other orchards in this and
Lee county that are doing well. An
orchard responds to good care, and as
soon as men make up their minds to
give that care, we will have plenty Of
land that is worth just as much as
land in the west. In irrigated land
there is large expense for water.
This expense we do not have here
Spraying is no more expensive than In
the west. Land here will not cost half
as much as in the west. Everything is
in our favor If some effort is made to
convince the people Of what we have.