Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-11-05
THE STATE AT LARGE.
horticulture at the Agricultural College,

The Professor of Horticulture and Landscape
Gardening has presented preliminary report
10 the presi ,ent, embracing an outline OF
work the department aims TO accomplish. This
was made separate department To meet the
demand of the fruit q overs OF the state for an
enlarged instruction in horticultural matters.
Ii Is the purpose of the department 10 work
with the horticulturists of the state and so far
as possible to meet their demands In expert
ment and instruction.
The most notable new feature Is a fruit
garden, which has been set apart for the
double purpose of testing new varieties of
small fruits and furnishing illustrative labor
to the students. IL comprises four acres of
variable soils thoroughly drained. Most OF the
fruits were set this year. There are forty-sey-
en- varities of Strawberries, fifteen of raspber-
ries, ten of b,ackberries ten of currants, five
gooseberries, two OF ounces, and number OF
newer grapes, pears and cherries. There are
also Russian apricots, mulberries and various
ST seedlings of promising wild fruits. The care
of the garden is placed entirely in the hands
of the students under the direct supervision of
the professor or foreman. III there is in
sufficient work TO give each student work in
the garden it is given to those who especially
desire it.
The orchards are two in number, comprising
apples, forty-cight varieties; crabs, five var
ieties; pears, thirty-siX varieties; cherries,
eight varieties; pluns, seven varieties. The
apple orchard has never yielded well, but has
There are two vineyards OF considerable eX-
tent and smaller one containing some of the
new varieties. There are growing siXty-three
named varieties and a number of hybrids and
seedlings. A good crop is expected next year.
In one vineyard will be put up an illustrative
system of trellises to represent to students all
the methods of outdoor training.
The vegetable garden of seven acres Is car
red on as a market garden. Special attention
is given TO the construction and management
of hot beds and cod frames. There is now
being constructed largely by way Of expert
ment u hot bed and forcing house to be heated
ny hot air from a home made coal furnace.
IL is the cndcayor 10 illustrate the lectures
in horticulture and landscape gardening by
actual practice although il is impossible to
ever fully realize the effort.
The following is the work OF one student,
taken from the work book at random, during
July:
Pruning apple trees, wedding onions, NOW
ing with n lawn mower, potting Strawberries,
shoveling earth, potting strawberries, cleaning
apple trees, pruning Young wood from vine
yard picking peas moving with lawn mower,
cleaning drive, cleaning and trimming drive,
ditto, ditto, scraping apple trees, raking on
drive ditto, ditto, pruning giape vines, raking
and trimming drives, ditto
For students WHO desire it experiments are
laid out in the gdrdca, orchards and vine
yards, and instructions given in methods of
manipulation and orig nal Investigation. The
professor II also endcavorlng 10 give students
in horticulture actual practice in budding,
grating, making layers, cuttings, etc. Dur
Inc tn cold weather Of early spring indoor
work with root grating and other matters
so far as accommodations permit will be per
formed.
From the active horticulturists of the state
the department solicits communications and
suggestions. II Is proposed 10 inaugurate as
many experiments as means will admit for the
benefit Of fruit growers and Others. Though
the means and appliances are very limited in
this respect, many experiments are under way.
The most prominent at present is the testing
Of new traits and vegetables. New varieties
ale ,liciled from the originators. Attempts
are being made TO improve the promising wild
fruits. systematic record, the first essen
tial - successful experiment, has been begun,
aud records will be made by competent OBJ
ser ers of the whole visible Biography of the
cultivated, from the sowing TO maturity.