The Advocate and news., 1898-12-21
KANSAS HORTrCULTURE.

Horticulture includes both fruit and
vegetables. We are generally accus-
toned to look upon horticulture as re-
ferring principally to apples peaches,
pears, plums and cherries And so 1t
does, but 1t also includes potatoes, pars-
nlps, peas, beans and melons. 1t is one
OF the most important subjects in this
State, and yet 1t never has had the en-
couragement from the State that It's i'm
portance demands
The appropriations by the State for
this department have been meager and
penurious to the extreme. Those directly
interested in this subject voluntarily as
soclate themselves together and organize
by the election of officers. They each
pay an annual fee of one dollar, or five
dollars for life membership. The
State makes a stingy appropriation for
the Secretarys Office and even limits
the annual report to 100 pages. The sub
ject of apples alone could prOhtably be
made to fiji a report Of that size. The
usefulness Of this important department
ought to be greatly enlarged. The State
should make just and liberal appropria-
tiOns for this work. The taxes for all
appropriations are paid by the people,
and property owners Of the State and
those interested in horticulture pay their
just proportion Of the appropriations for
oil ~ ri re o.
port should be limited, not by certain
number Of pages but only by the amount
Of useful and instructive matter 1t could
contain. Quarterly reports and monthly
bulletins ought to be provided for and
regularly published for the information
of the people upon the many important
topics relating to fruit and vegetables
and their insect enemies. Six expert
mental stations ought to be established
and maintained under the direct super
vision of this depaTtment-three in the
south half and three in the north half
of the State, located with reference to
the varying conditions Of climate and
soil. These stations would become edu-
Gators in many ways. They would de-
termine the varieties of fruits and veg
etables best adapted to different parts OF
the State, and save the farmers many
thousands of dollars and years Of valu-
able time now wasted by individual ex-
periments or want of knowledge as to
worthless varieties. Cross fertilization
and the propagation of new varieties
would thus be encouraged and the value
of the products of the State greatly in
creased.
Kansas has wonderful possibilities as
horticultural State Its products al
ready rank high in the markets Of this
and other countries. Its possibilities are
limited only by the skill, care and at
tention that are given to this important
subject. The work Of this department
should not be hampered by any lack OF
funds. Kansas has the natural condi-
tions for the production OF the finest
fruits and vegetables. These conditions
should be improved and developed to the
| IulleoI eAISHI, III uOlhb WAS INV HNAN ~
cultural department should lead the way
by supplying the people all possible in
formation and by the propagation, intro
duction and distribution of the newest
and best varieties Of fruits and vegeta-
bles suitable for the climate and soils
of this State. The people would gladly
use such information and willingly plant
the varieties that the experimental sta
tions should determine the best adapted
to any particular locality. Thousands OF
dollars that are now expended for worth
less varieties might thus be saved and
the production of fruits and vegetables
be greatly improved in both quantity
and quality, so that the money expended
by the State for this purpose would be