Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-09
FRUITS AND FLOWERS
Iowa Horticulturists Will Discuss
Them at Their Meeting
This Week.
Successes and Failures Of the
Past Of This Oldest Of Sim.
liar Societies.
Interesting the Ladies in the
Subject-.Work OF State Elk.
pertinent Stations.
sepcial to Times-Republican.

SPECIAL to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 9.-The meeting OF
the Iowa State Horticultural Society
this week will be the thirty-siXth an
rual convention of the students of fruits
and flowers in Iowa. The horticulturists
of Iowa were early in the field with ex-
detrimental work as individuals and in
organizations At the meeting last year
lH. w. Lathrop, of Iowa City, was pres
ent and recalled being at a meeting of
the Iowa horticulturists in 1S55-6 and he
told of the song which all the horticul-
turists We're then singing, that apples
couldn't be raised in Iowa and 1t was
no use trying. But apples have been
raised in Iowa ever since and more are
being raised now than formerly. A great
many Of the members OF the Iowa So
ciety have been long in the harness,
working for the success of Iowa fruits;
and such men as c. G. Patten, Charles
City; r. p. Speer. Cedar Falls; Eugene
Secor, Forest City; N. X. Fluke, Daven-
port: C. L. Watrous. Des Moines; NJ. j.
Wragg, Waukee; Silas Wilson, Attain
tic, C. +. Gardner Usage; A. L. Plum
nier. Ivy; b. Shontz, Correctionville; w.
A. Burnap, Clear Lake; Wesley Greene,
Davenport; Elmer Reeves, Waverly; II.
w. Lathrop. Iowa City; w. NJ. Bonn
berger, Harlan; j. l.. BuGd, Ames; L..
n. Pammel, Ames; L. G.. Ciute, Greeley:
George Van Houten, Lenox; and DR..
Powell, Glenwood-these mems names
are familiar not only to Iowa fruit
growers but to the horticulturists of the
entire United States. AS the result Of
the labors of these men Iowa has been
kept well in the front in the matter OF
fruit growing. for home consumption
and for export and market, and has ac-
complished something in the way of inn
proving varieties of fruits and develop
ing new varieties. In the matter of
adapting ornamental trees to the needs
Of this climate the society has accom-
plished a great deal. The annual meet
ings are not largely attended. but they
are attended by those who are able to
get great good out of the contact with
each other. The society has room in
the state house. tho 1t is not the room
that was fitted up for the society. The
room occupied by the adjutant genera.
is the one which was intended for the
horticulturists. and they supplied the
ca:alpa wood with which 1t is finished.
the wood being grown In Iowa.
ess
eve do not try to have large gather
ings at our state meetings. said Wesley
Greene, secretary, for the reason that
our room is small and can only accom-
modate fifty to 100 persons. We do not
like to, rent hall down town, for we
feel freer to talk and work here In our
own office. But it is not intended that
at these annual meetings of the state
society we shall gather all the workers
in horticulture. This is the college or
seminary of the science. Those who
come here are the masters of the science.
They meet to discuss 1t from the profess
sional standpoint. We have our four
auxiliary societies which meet in the
four quarters of the state, and there is
where we expect to meet the mass Of the
workers and experimenters in the busi-
ness. The state society is, therefore. the
center from which is to radiate the In
formation which will result in improv-
ing our fruits and trees. AS for our work
in the experiment stations, that is nee
esSarily slow. 1t takes generations to
develop new varieties of fruits. The re-
wards are not commensurate with the
labor. 1t is true that Mr.. Patten origi-
rated variety of apple and a man from
Minnesota gave him $3.50 for the tree
hut mo WI iui r,u for hot Po1d
win apple died in poverty. We must not
expect too much from our experimental
work"
Some years ago the Iowa legislature
made an appropriation for the encour-
agement of experimental work by Iowa
fruit growers. The society established
a dozen or more experiment stations and
set men to work. The progress of work
at these experiment stations and the
method of continuing the work is likely
to again come up for consideration at
the meeting this week. The society
found out that the experiment stations
were too numerous and the number was
reduced to eight. They are as follows.
with the name OF the conductor and the
specially:
Ames-Professor E. E. Little, central
station.
Charles city-c. G. Patten, crossing
apples.
storm Lake-P. F. Kline. top-work-
ing apples.
New Sharon-A. Bronson, plum. cher
ry and stone fruit.
Glenwood-J. p. Jackson. small fruit
and peaches.
Des Moines-C. L. Watrous, pears and
apples.
Cedar Falls-R. p speer. crossing and
top-grafting apples.
Waukee-M. j. Wragg, plums, cherries
and ornamentals.
At the annual meeting year ago
there was manifest distinct disagree
ment in regard to these experiment sta
tions and movement was started to
reduce the number still further. In
fact, it was brought out in the informal
discussions which were not recorded In
the transactions. that quite number
were In favor of concentrating the ex-
perimental work at one place, say at the
college at Ames, and not scattering 1t
about over the state. The directors of
these experiment stations receive some
small compensation for their labors, but
nothing in proportion to the work done.