The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-01-21
Emit for the Farmer.

Il. 10. GOOurlcn, preSluenL Oh the iii
nois State Horticultural society, con-
tributed a paper to the annual issued
by the students of the Illinois agricul-
tural college. In which he said:
have visited nearly every portion OF
Illinois, have met her farmers on pub
lie conveyances, at institutes, on their
farms and in their homes. l have met
them under all circumstances OF farm
life and am always surprised at the
lack of fruit. Their tables are pain
fully barren Of this great necessity. NO
other class of our citizens consumes so
little fruit as they, and a large proper
ton Of what they do consume Is
bought, not grown. Why this is so Is
mystery yet unsolved. With the
land, the teams and the tools; with the
intelligence to plant and care for, they,
too frequently buy or go without. A
few have all they can consume and
surplus for less fortunate friends and
neighbors, few have partial supply
but the majority have a very scant al
lowance, or none at all.
Many a doctor or merchant. on q
town lot, working during his leisure
moments and chiefly for the love OF 1t,
produces a greater supply OF LUSCIOUS
health-giving fruit than scores OF farm
ers on their broad acres, and the en-:
thusiasm they show is refreshing TO,
see. Why, have seen ministers bring
specimens of fruit to fairs and 1rult
growers meetings that would be
credit to any fruit exhibit, and they
discuss it and their mode OF growing
with equally as much eloquence as
when discoursing on other themes IN
their own pulpits. Whatever their ell
forts may have been in changing the
natural man to a more fruitful condl-
ton of good work and the cardinal VIZ
tues, their efforts as fruit growers were
certainly noble example and beau
tiful object lesson to all fortunate
enough to see and hear. / have in
mind professors and physicians in the
several educational and charitable in
situations of Illinois, who, more from
love of horticulture than from neces-
sity grow a surprising amount OF fruit
from a very limited area. These are
men whose knowledge and opinion are
eagerly sought for by the various So
cieties of the land, showing conclus-
lively that the knowledge and skill ac-
quired by them is within the reach OF
all.
For some unexplainable reason farm
ers seem reluctant to experiment Tor
themselves, and not infrequently are
reluctant to accept the results OF the
experiments Of others. With abundant
and reliable nurseries at hand and with
express companies ready to lay down
trees and shrubs at their doors, too
frequently the farmers table is with
out fruit and his dooryard without or
namentation. Is it any wonder that
the boys leave the farm? The wonder
is that they do not all go. Let the
farmers begin planting fruit and work
up to a home supply. few bushels
of wheat or corn, even at present
prices, will buy trees and plants
enough for beginning. If possible as
ones own locality and plant them. II
that is impracticable then take the fol-
lowing varieties as a suggestion:
Strawberries: (for early Crystal City
or Michels; (for medium) Warfield,
fertilized with Sucker State; for late)
Candy. Set 500 plants each.
Raspberries: Gregg or Kansas for
black, and Cuthbert and Hansell for
red. Set 100 plants each.
Blackberries: Early Harvest and An
cient Briton. If for a cold climate,
substitute Snyder.
II but one kind of tree fruit can be
planted, let it be apples, and three Of
each variety-Early Harvest, Duchess.
Connells Fancy. Jeffries, Ben Davies,
Jonathan. Crimes Golden and Minkler.
II cherries are to be planted set three
trees each of Dye House and Early
Richmond.
OF plums set Wild Goose and Bur-
bank.