University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-11-07

to three hundred cars of this fruit ar
sent out from here each year. A
many as thirty cars have been shippe,
out in single day.
The strawberry crop in Missouri il
1909 amounted to over milliol
crates, valued at more than two mil
lion dollars. In the strawberry dis
trict of Southwest Missouri the gros:
income is about 500 per acre, though
the better growers often secure 500
to $500 to the acre. Henry Gugel o.
Mountain Grove reports a yield OF
500 crates per acre, which would
leave a gross income of s4OO, to $500
to the acre.
Along the Missouri river hills are
large grape vineyards. Hermann, or
the river, is noted for extensive wine
making and is said to possess the
largest wine cellars in the world.
The town of Blodgett. in Scott
County, is the largest watermelon
shipping point in the United States
in the one county the yield being g.
243.295 melons i'm 1909.
Other species of fruit are grown in
Missouri in large quantities. A con-
servative estimate of the value of al
kinds of fruit produced in the state
during a favorable year places the
value at ten million dollars, of which
less than one-half is consumed at
home.
Missouri can also boast Of the larg-
est orchard in the world. 1t is locat-
ed in the southern part of the state
and contains more than a thousand
acres. In the entire state there are
probably three hundred thousand
acres planted in the various kinds of
fruit, which is a larger acreage by %
to 80 per cent than that of any other
state.
At Louisiana. Missouri, is located
the largest nursery enterprise in the
world. with enough smaller ones scat
tered over the state to average one
well established nursery plant for ev-
cry county in the state. The output
Of nursery products for the year 1909
was estimated at two million dollars
In keeping with the rank of the
state in the production of fruit are
the experiment stations which have
been established by the state. One of
these experiment stations is the hor-
ticultural department of the Univer-
sity of Missouri, where fruit growing
Is taught and investigations carried
on in the University orchard. About
ten years ago the State Fruit Expert
ment Station was established at
Mountain Grove for the purpose of
on investigations with re-
gard to the best methods of spraying,
and management of orchards.
and the solving of practical and sci
entific problems with reference to
fruit growing. 1t was the first ex-
elusive fruit experiment station to be
established in the United States. The
present director of the work at the
experiment station is DR.. Paul Evans,
an alumnus of the University of Mis-
souri,
Missouri has been very prolific in
he production of new varieties of ap-
Dles. Among the new varieties added
% the worlds wealth of fruit bv Mis-
are: Gano, produced by
he late w. G. Gano of Parkville; In
gram, originated by Mr.. Ingram of
Springfield; the Missouri Pippin, in
reduced by Johnson County fruit
grower; Huntsman, also originated in
North Missouri, and Payne's Keeper,
Produced in a Dade County orchard.
1t is to be noted that many of these
are proving better adapted
o this state than the older kinds.
The varieties planted in Missouri fifty
ears ago were practically all orig
mated in Europe or in the older states
# the Atlantic seacoast, but the lists
# today contain not a single Europ-
an variety. and not over ten per cent
# the total were originated east of
he Allegheny Mountains. By far the
'reatest number were produced in
Missouri or the adjacent states, con-
the varieties now culti-
'ated are better adapted to the soil
md climate conditions. 1t is not at
III improbable that as a few decades
20 by we may originate varieties cap
bile of withstanding the heavy frosts