Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-09-04
49, ,-1.>-szsAs -~--------- = ~
BURNETT'S LETTER.
Tells of Berry Growing in Sparta;
One Hundred Carloads In
a Season.
GOV. IAPoLLErTEs CONDITION
Quiet But Plucky Fight for Health
Question of Imported -
Teachers.

Madison, Wis. Sept. 3.-Summer Is
giving away to autumn. as shown by
the advertisements of state and coun-
ty fairs 1t is delicious to note the
smell of autumn In the air. 1t is per-
haps the best OF the seasons-that Is,
until spring comes. To a wei ordered
person each season is the best while
it is current.
Governor LaFollette is still sick. He
is gaining rather than losing, but it Is
one of those long, tedious illnesses
when 1t must require even more than
the consciousness Of high honors to
keep one jubilant. His stomach is
weak point. 1t does not handle the
food we'll A physician sees him eV-
cry day and one Of the treatments is
to flush that organ with a tube pro
iected down the mouth, which Is not
very pleasant experience, say those
who have endured it. However, the
governor is reported to show good
nerve In that. as in all else. Govern
or LaFollette is not rich man, as
everybody knows, and revenue from
law practice stops when one becomes
governor He is under heavy expense,
against which the 5000 salary can
make only a partial impression, and
withal the sich man merits the sym
patty and best wishes of all good cit
liens. His silence during these trying
months is about as impressive as any
course of action could well be.
Politics T.ias Easier.
The political storm has become less
acute-taklng the form now of AGA
demic dlscussion-by which Is meant
two-colRmn editorials on topics which
few people read. The eleventh story
movement Is going forward-by which
40 ntoAe N AEN~RNiOA 10 AWAY Va
IN the seventeen pleasant rooms and
Colonel Dan b. Starkey, with his
small, handsome feet on the table,
listens deferentially to the local mag
mates who drop In from over the
state and say wise things about sentl-
~ emit up their way. In the meanwhile,
the people are selling their, crops, be-
ing given In marriage and doing the
other things that fall to the lot of
that interesting individual-the aver
age man.
Berry Growing In Sparta.
The horticulturists last week Wis
tied the agricultural orchard which
Professor Con has in fine condition.
despite the dought They saw, among
other things, some 100 varieties OF
plums. 1t is the business of this de
partment to try all new kinds and to
recommend the ones that thrive. In
planting his orchard of loo plum
trees, Mr. Samuel Marshall of Madi-
N1h Aio PAO1AGh Oy AhC
and be Ii operating with some thirty
varieties. These trees set out about
12c to the acre. This orchard the visi-
tors also inspected.
Sparta is a famous small fruit CEN
ter. G. E. Hanchett OF that city at
tended the convention. His father be-
nap rntafuar sf~o xnvha fSGs. ,..t.L
half an acre. Blackberries took root
little later. c. Ii. Hamilton Of Ripon
gave an enthusiastic talk on this lat
ter fruit at the farmers institute and
that talk bore frui; indeed. Raspber-
ries came along naturally. and now the
output from Sparta station alone Is
enormous. Some days ten or twelve
carloads Of berries are shipped This
year seventy-four cars OF berries left
Sparta, and in one year one hundred
cars. Most of them are strawberries,
OF course.
The most extensive grower was NJ.
A. Thayer. the extent Of whose opera
tons was very great. He started In
the business fourteen years ago. and
at one time conducted the experiment.
al station there under the auspices Of
the horticultural society Mr.. Thayer
met with some reverses, being engaged
In banking and other lines In fac..
some maintain that more money is
lost in berries than is taken out. Ber-
ry growing is as well established sci
entifcally as any other branch Of az
ricuiture; but II calls for patience and
devotion. A good many read a mag
azine article or otherwise get an en-
thustasm. and plunge into small
fruits. They are apt to fail unless
they are willing to stick to it and new
sr grow weary. In or near Sparta
there have been as many as $50 berry
growers at one time mot all exclusive
growers; indeed, many operating a
hak-scre or over up TO fifteen or twen-
~ &cres). but all members OF the local
association.
George Hanchett & Son operate
twenty acres and put out one-tenth of
the crop. The son tells me they sold
about 1000 bushels this year Tor 1000
eases OF sixteen quarts mainly
Strawberries. In the season some
twenty-five pickers are kept busy. The