Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-10-12
Prof. Badd In Europe.
From the Iowa Homestead.

largest steppes OF central Europe on
the 51st parallel of north latitude, six
miles from any railroad station, but
near the small, apcient town of Pros
kau, is the Kings Pon,ological Insti-
.ute." The grounds contain over three
hundred acres, quite large part of
which is covered with arboretum,
which includes beautiful approach
from the town, one mile in length
gardens, nuTseii les. orchards, beautiful
~ laid out and planted lawns. etc.
What is called the arboretum really
contains about every tree and shrub
OF the world that will grow in this
northern prairie climate. say prairie
As this slightly undulating> plain north
of the Carpathian mountains
is apparently as boundless as
those of the west. We passed
over it two hundred miles from Ores
den in coming here, and it extends
much more than two hundred miles
eastward, and northeast it meets the
Russian steppes. In northern Silesia
this plain is very fertile and is under
high culture. The expression is pecu-
liar as We see no houses, only as we
catch glimpses of distant villages, and
we see no fences, no loose stock of any
kind, only now and then a flock of
herded sheep on the stubble fields or
meadows. The division lines and roads
are planted with trees, usually of low
growth. Poplar is much.used, but the
tops are cat back so as to present
miles of neat, round topped trees even
of the Lombardy poplar. For road
tree the MorelIo cherries are extensively
planted. Lines OF them may be seen
on every hand which are lost in the
far distant view. Lines of cherry
trees, fifty or more miles in length, are
said to exist on this great prairie along
the road sides.
In climate it approaches quite nearly
our Iowa prairies. Its summer are ex-
! tremely variable in temperature and
humidity of air. When the winds are
from the arid quarters they are Excess
sively hot and dry. Singularly enough,
however, the south wind of summer is
cold and dry, and the northwest wind
gives the most moisture and rain. The
winters are rs cold as ours, out rather
more even IN temperature. Some
things are grown which fail with us.
In sheltered situations, the Box, Maho-
ma, Llgustruh ;, etc, survive, while
under the most favorable conditions,
the ordinary mulberry of the south
fails, as does the Usage orange, the
catalpa, the Allanthus, etc. Pears are
more grown than with us, but the vari-
cites are harder than those we have
sfailed with. and the foliage of these indi-
cate rougher usage than they would
have in our climate.
In apple growing the climate and
soil are far from favorable. While fa-
vorable for most cereals and grass, the
prairie is too wet for best success in
orcharding. With such varieties as
Jonathan, Dominic, Willow, or even
Ben Davis and Walbridge, they would
utterly fail to grow apples here. The
list resisting the climate and doing
well on this soil, is not an extensive
one, and it contains some of the varie-
ties Of the Russian steppes. The fight
has been at the school to exclude from
the experimental orchards all varie-
ties low in quality. Hence it is an
on,ni,t'n gatherem of the varieties of
good quality known to the prairies
of central Europe. DR.. Stoll, the
director, has given his life to
experimental work here, and
his opinion of the relative
worth and hardness Of varie-
ties of fruits, has much value. He has
given us list of about % varieties of
winter apples which have stood the
test winters most perfectly in trying
positions, all OF which are worth trying
in Iowa. His select list of pears, cher
ries and plums, we also consider valu-
able. But we propose to still farther
sift these lists in sections where the
summers are still dryer and hotter and
the winters colder.
In many respects this school would
be a surprise to the American. From
the state it receives 10000 marks annu-
ally for its experimental work, in add
ton to the products from the distribut-
ing nurseries, gardens, etc. This permits
the establishment and carrying out of
system of planting, fitting up and
maintaining the grounds. cabinets, ETC.,
which in the course of 100 years has
given q. completeness to the work in
all divisions, which to us is surprising.
DR.. Stoll, the director, is DOW fulyi 20
years of age, but Is as active, earnest
and enthusiastic as young man of
twenty. In passing over the grounds
he could point to each tree and shrub |
and tell its habits, is history and re-
lative value. While we have been re-
latively sleeping in the matter of seek
ing for the fruits, the trees, the shrubs, |
the cereals, etc, of these ancient inter-
continental sections, DR.. StolI, on
these prairies, can point out our
American products to an extent abso-
lutely surprising. While We knew
nothing by trial of their cherries, plums,
apples, and but few of their
pears, DR.. Stoll knew the work |,
and the Recommendations oil
such Americans as Henderson,
Warder, Downing, Douglas and Barry.
and could show specimens of cur most
desirable trees, vines, garden products,
etc. For the prairie states it is unfor-
tunate that all importing worth noting