The Monett times., 1922-12-15
INTERESTING GRAPE
MEETING HELD HERE
Frisco and Experiment Station Men
Address Grape Growers
Here Friday.

OhS VI IAC HlOSI undressing ana III
structive meetings ever held at Mo-
nett in the interest of fruit growing
was the one held at the Gem Theatre
Friday afternoon by representatives
OF the Frisco Agriculture department
and the Missouri Fruit Experiment
Station.
D. E. Eicher, horticultural agent Of
the Frisco; c. B. Nicholson, Frisco
supervisor of farm marketing; Mr..
Bierbaum and c. N. Cr0tsenourg, of
the Missouri Fruit Experiment
Station at Mountain Grove, were the
principal speakers.
| P. A. Rodgers, of McAllen, Texas.
president of the Ozark Fruit Growers
Association, was present and spoke a
few minutes. Several Monet citizens
made short talks expressing their
interest in the grape industry, which
is in its infancy in this section.
Mr.. Nicholson was the first speak,
er. He stated that he was a local
product, having been reared on farm
near Verona. His department of the
Frisco is established for the purpose
of developing the resources of the
Frisco territory, which in turn will
provide business for the railroad COM
pany. Last year this district shipped
over 1000 carloads of strawberries,
and Mr.. Nicholson predicts that in a
few years the grape industry will
equal that of the strawberry.
Mr.. Nicholson advised growers to
specialize on Concords, which, SO far
have proved to be the best CONNER
cial grape on account of superior
quality, good production and carry
ing qualifications. Uniform rating
rules, rigid inspection, standard con-
tainers and other matters were dis
cussed by Mr.. Nicholson.
He stated that as the grape in
dustry is new in this section, that it
must be literally advertised in order
to get wide market as soon as the
crop is ready and in order that con-
tracts may be made for the fruit
ahead of time. The Ozarks shipped
135 carloads of grapes last season.
Springdale, Ark, shipped SO cars for
which the growers received $4,000.
Mr.. Bierbaum, new man with the
experiment station, gave a very in
teresting talk, Illustrating with charts
the proper way to set the grape plants
and to prune and care for them. He
stated that any soil that would grow
strawberries was suitable fer grapes.
His lecture was very practical and
instructive. He advocates setting the
grapes eight feet apart in the row
with the rows ten feet apart.
D. E. Eicher spoke about his visit
to the grape districts of New York
Canada and Michigan. Especially
was his account of his
visit at the grape farm of Dave Skin
ner, near Portland, N. Y. Mr.. Skin
ner came here two years ago at rep
resentative of the Welch Grape Juice
Company, to interest the people of
this section in the grape industry Mr..
Skinner is a practical farmer and
knows the grape business thoroughly.
He owns a As acre farm in the
grape region. He has 33
acres in grapes. He cares for his
farm with the help of one hired man
and a mule team. During the harvest
ing season he employs eight women
to gather the crop. One picker can
gather the grapes from five acres.
A woman can pick ton of grapes
day.
Last season Mr.. Skinner picked his
crop October and 10. He got $50
a ton for part of his crop. HIS
books showed that he was paid $4,000
for his crop last season.
The speakers stated that the Ozarks
grape fruiting season was just right
for the market, The Ozark Concord
grape ripens the last of August and
the first of September. The Michigan
grapes are put on the market the last
of September, and the New York and
California grapes are shipped in Oc-
tober.
Every. speaker stressed the fact
that growers should specialize on the
Concord grape until the industry be-
comes established in this section.