The herald., 1897-01-16
(Hdited by s. M. woodbridge. Phi. d.
address all communications of an agri-
cultural nature to the Agricultural Editor.)

A SUGGESTION FOR THE SEASON.
As the time Is near to make garden" +"
we wish to urge upon the tillers of the
soil that both for comfort and economy
patch OF ground for what downeasters
call sass will be found paying insti-
tuition. EVEN small house lot will ad-
NIT of few tomato plants, a hundred
heads of lettuce, bed Of beets, ETC., to
the end Of long chapter. Then If ones
borders are wide the production may
be indefinitely increased till the family
Is supplied with more than half its liv-
ing and the fresh. succulent, appetizing
abundance will furnishe daily feast.
The children may also learn practical
lessons of lifelong use to them in lend-
ing a hand in caring for the garden. Do
not neglect the flowers, but by no means
forget that within the reach of any own
er Of the soil is q storehouse out of which
by a little labor and with trifling expense
he may bring a vast assortment of deli.
cious edibles.
FARMERS INSTITUTES.
These institutes are most interesting
and valuable in disseminating informa-
tion among the ranchers We doubt If
there ever was a. set of Institutes that
had more able papers than those held
last week at Riverside and Redlands.
There was. however, anamusing side in
tIlt PIOCtGQIlfSo W lliCIl was Skllllully I -
covered up by the president. We refer
especially to the announcement that
Prof. Hilgard was retained at home on
account of sickness in his family; but
that he would be down shortly and in
struct the people on Economy in Fer
tilizers' and Experiments in Orange
Fertilizers" 1t has BEEN customary,
when Dr. Hilgard could. not attend these
institutes, for him to send his papers to
1a tn nd h,If mr.
excuse or substitute was offered at the
meetings of last week We wonder if
Prof. Hilgard's guns have been spiked
by The Herald in replying to the pro-
fessor'S magazine article on Economy
Inv Fertilizers" and The Herald's crit
icisrn on Mr. Palmer's papers on Fer
tihzers?" There Is something funny
about a program that has Prof Hilgard
down for such a subject as "Experi-
ments in Orange Fertilizers" We have
tried hard to get the professor to lead
a different life for years, and it Is a
shame that just at the time our leaven
of conversion has begun, to work
circumstances over which the professor
seems to have had no control should pre-
vent him from even showing the signs
of conversion except by simple an
nouncement on the program: "Experi-
ments in Orange Fertilizers-Dr. E. w.
Hilgard." 1t is dollars to doughnuts
that the presidents announcement that
Prof. Hilgard will be down here shortly
to lecture on the above subjects will not
be fulfilled.
Again. the attempts of the president
of the Institutes. who Is the paid en-
ploye of DR.. HMgard, to blacklist The
Herald man was most amusing, espe-
clally as the audiences called upon him
many times to answer questions from
the box in his especial line.
Can it be that the presidnet is afraid
OF d.spfeasing his master?
We had supposed that the farmers
institutes We're public meetings. held
for the public good to disseminate the
latest information, as they are sustained
from the public funds. Will some one
rise to explain?
Prof. Hilgard, however, was very
much in evidence when 1t came to that
part Of the program which read:
Work of the Experiment Stations,
Prof. f. w. Hilgard." For there was
presented to the audience 17-page bull
letin Ill, The Work of the College of
AS we read this bulletin we are re-
minded of King Solomon's words, "Of
making many books there is no end
and much study Is a WEAKNESS of the
flesh" But we take comfort as we think
of St. Paul's later precept, "All things
work together for good" We have felt
1t our duty to read every word of the
bulletin and take further consolation in
knowing that whom the Lord loveth he
chastenath'
The bulletin begins with the state
ment "One of the chief difficulties un-
der which the college OF agriculture at
Berkeley labors Is the lack Of acquaint-
ance of the farming population with it ,"
A little further down, in speaking of the
ty,cf i, fex dior n
by an extended correspondence,
mostly in reply to questions asked by
farmers for information and advice.
This part of the work is intimately con-
nectcd with the work of experimental
ton. and 1t may be said right here that
1t is perhaps the most laborious part,
involving the writing. annually, of from
five to six thousand letters"
We submit that If Prof. Hilgard has
been at the head of the agricultural COL
lege for over twenty years, with COR
respoEdence of from five to six thousand
letters per annum, that it is his own
fault IL he lacks acquaintance of the
farming population, and that this lack
OF acquaintance is entirely due to the
following facts:
Flrst-That he has not produced grad
yates that have made themselves felt
In the state as agriculturists.
Second-Nhat he has not shown the
ranchers how they could better their
crops; and
Third-That the innumerable number
or letters that he has answered have
not been satisfactory to the recipients
of them.
FROST PROTECTION
(Paper read by e. w. Holmes, before the
Farmers Institute.)
Mr.. President and Fellow Citizens: I
am asked to contribute paper on Frost
frotection. The subject is one 1 should
hesitate to speak upon If it were not that
It so demands consideration and study.
! can hope to bring before you no new
truth. nor am tempted to present new
theories. l shall only briefly review our