The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-05-08
INFLUENCE OF HORTICULTURE.
Read by j. W. johnson ut the April Meet
Ing of the Alien County Horticultural
Society.

Ing OF the Alien county nOFtiCuttuHsi
Society.
The term horticulture" has, by
many of its advocates, been made to
comprehend things that are out of its
proper domain. Therefore, as we I'M
derstand the term, We will consider
it as including the products of the
garden, orchard, and vineyard, in con-
tradIstinction from the field crops of
the farm, although the laws of plant
life apply equally TO both in very
many cases.
Let W to-day try to learn how its
influence is felt by the members
and friends of our society and where
il touches our lives, whether 1t is a
chimera that charms then leaves us,
or brings an element of profit to us in
worldly goods, or adds to our enjoy
ment of earthly existence; or do we
gain that elevation of heart and mind
in the contemplation of that beauty
that excclled all the glory of King
Solomon?
The antiquity of horticulture, of
course, reaches back to the days of
Adams sampling the fruit in the
garden he was entrusted TO keep and
dress;u but we find when the first
Europeans settled in Georgia the In
dams had an abundance of peaches
and many varieties of apples, proba-
bly, introduced by the missionaries
who accompanied Ribault, DeSeto,
and others.
Massachusetts leads in the early
efforts to produce concert of action in
the direction of pomology, but several
years passed in the formative state
before the American Pathological So
ciety was fully developed in Phila-
delphia in 1851. but the subsequent
life of this grand society has become
part of the history of this nation and
its influence in aiding the marvellous
rapid development of American fruit
products has given to it the lead of all
kindred associations in the new and
old world.
The primitive idea of most of our
undertakings is gain or profit, and l
| feel assured that the ObersavatiOn Of
this audience will bear me out In the
statement that the Horticulture of
Allen county has already brought to
our people much gain in various ways,
and prosperity as we'll as misery likes
to see crowds of the other fellows
making money and enjoying a good
time.
The influence of this great interest
has been so extended and broadened
that as agriculture has been accorded
q place in the cabinet of the President
of the United States, horticulture
occupies her division with dignity,
and only last year the Office of our
State Horticulture Society was grant
ed place in the new State House,
and will probably henceforth be rec
ogniZed as an old settler.
Report of the Acting Secretary says
our horticultural interests are second
emily to our grain interests, and few
statements taken from his annual re-
port will indicate some of the infiu-
ence that the Kansas battalion of the
host is exerting on the supply of
fruits. The report covers period of
fourteen years and serves to point out
some of the mistakes made by early
settlers that we may we'll consider as
bearing on the important subject of
supply and demand, the neglect of
which has so often taken the wind
out of the gilded balloons that hover
ed over the schemes of the horticul-
turists of early days and haunt the
dreams of some people we know, who
look for large crops and big prices
both on one tree.
The two and three-fourth millions
bearing apple trees increased to three
times the number, but the number of
young trees increased only 10 per cent.
Sixty eight thousand pear trees doub-
led in number, but the number of
young trees increased only one-fourth.
Two hundred thousand plumb trees
were increased to eight hundred
thousand, but of young trees the num-
Der increased but eight per cent.
Peach trees bearing, five and one-half
millions, just twice the number of ap-
pie trees, decreased one-third and
that of young trees three-fourths.
The four thousand acres of grapes in
creased to seven thousand acres.
AS have intimated this report is
only of Kansas aud can give but a
meager conception of the strides our
calling has made towards displacing
the old diet of "hog and hominy'
and adding to the health, and there
fore happiness of our people. How
strange that anyone with home can
po0Ioaf m cyrouy q sunpIy IF putrit;oue