Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-05-02
Agriculture and Horticulture.


The time for planting and sowing is
now here. Farmers have attended in
stitutes and undoubtedly have learned
in those schools how to farm. Ag-
riculture has made wonderful progress
in the last twenty years. Our expert
mental station at Madison has surely
been a great factor to bring about this
progress; whether or not our farmers
Institutes have done much good in that
direction our farmers ought to know.
It seems that farmers in this part of
this state do not pay much attention
to these Institutes but go right ahead
and make money. Two of these schools
have been held in this county this
winter, one at North Andover and one
at Hazel Green. What has been done
at these gatherings I have not been
able to ascertain.
Seventeen years ago, farmers insti-
tutes we're first started. But two have
been held in Lancaster. At that time
considerable interest was shown and
time devoted to Horticulture. Mr..
Thayer, of Sparta, conducted the sec
ond of these meetings. He gave part
of the time to the discussion of how to
raise small fruit. He was an enthusi-
asst in that line and would have it that
we organized local Horticultural So
ciety, and it was done. We met in the
jury room in the court house, elected
Delos ABB Inns, president and Chas.
Harper, secretary. [ think about 30
joined as members. We paid twenty
five cents each to the secretary, had
two meetings thereafter and that was
the end of it.
Horticulture has been greatly neg
lected ever since that time. | have
seen but little in the program OF farm
ers' Institutes relating to Horticulture.
We have State Horticultural Society
which meets twice year, the members
of which being mostly professionals.
The state appropriates every year a
certain sum of money for. the mainte-
nance of that society. But [ notice
they ask for more every year. They
exhibit their fruits and flowers at
these meetings and award premiums
on the best display. They are estab-
fishing an experimental station in the
northern part of the state, but Of course
this takes more money and most OF 1T
comes from the southern part Of the
state. In their meetings they discuss
many things interesting and beneficial
to the public. This society is worth
being maintained, although a great
amount of money is sometimes spent at
an entire loss. Two years ago they
wanted paper exclusively devoted to
Horticulture and one was started and
published 1t was named the Horti-
culturalMagazine but it was short lived,
and for the want of subscribers and
died natural death on April LIST. 1903,
leaving deficit to the state of $1,000;
later accounts say $500. Well, that is
really too much money to throw away.
APPLES.
Now is the proper time to receive the
trees, etc, people have ordered during
the winter. If planted perhaps they
will grow. Next summer and fall
there will be an abundance of apples.
from all present indications. Next
fall more trees will be shipped in, and
later, apples will be shipped in for
winter use-so it has been in the past
and will continue so, until we can get
the varieties to raise that we can de-
pend on. Apples of one variety will
not do equally we'll alike on different
soils. Farmers should endeavor to
visit the neighboring orchards and see
which kind does best. IF there should
be healthy tree bearing inferior fruit
it should be top grated for better va
riety of fruit. Grating should be
learned by all, and is very simple
operation. Seeds of different kinds of
fruit should be put into the ground in
the fall and will come up in spring.
And after one years growth the little
tree is ready for grating. 1t is good
idea to encourage young people to ex-
pertinent in grating, etc. Rose bushes
and other shrubs may be grated as
we'll.
CHERRIES.
Cherries do very we'll in this locality
and every farmer should endeavor to
have at least a dozen trees. Would
recommend Early Richmond, Mont
morency and Wragg. They ripen in ro-
tation as mentioned. In order to keep
cherries from birds | recommend Gov
ering with netting, and the same Gov
ering of net may be used on all the
trees as they ripen. Planting Russian
mullberries is advantageous. They
bear abundantly and birds prefer
them to cherries.
PEARS.
l cannot recommend pears, as they
are very uncertain.