The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-08-01


We learn from the press that Prof
Huntley of North Yakima, has been
appointed state horticultural commits
soner for Washington. This is graft
flying news to the fruit growers of
Yakima county, for by this act the
office of the horticultural commission
er will be moved to North Yakima. 1t
seems quite appropriate that this Of
flee should be in the fruit growing
region and in this respect no section
of our state can equal Yakima county
Other sections of the state raise as
good fruit as we can raise in Yakima
county, but no other part of the state
equals it in quantity. No man should
he sectional in this office, but where
the most is to be done is, other things
being equal, the place where the of
flee should be. 1t is believed that
Prof. Huntley will fill this office with
ability and fairness to all. Each ap-
plicant for this Office had his friends
and his endOrsers. So it naturally fol-
lows that some are disappointed. But
now that Prof. Huntley is appointed
all should join in rendering him all
the assistance in their power. The Of
flee is an important one and Prof
Huntley is well qualified to fill it and
he has the endorsement and cooper
alton of the writer. There was
widespread feeling among our lead
ing horticulturists that there ought
to be change The retiring COM
missioner was an active and faithful
man as he understood his duties but
the writer was unable to see in him a
man well qualified for his position
The change as he sees it will be
greatly for the better. If Prof. Hunt
lev shall show the energy and push
possessed by his predecessor, coupled
with his recognized ability, then the
Office will be we'll filled. Let us all
pull together to the end that horti-
cultural interests in Washington shall
take the place they deserve. AS stated
before in this paper Washington is
away behind Oregon in some things
pertaining to horticulture. There is
great room for Improvement and the
writer believes this will be realized.
X
H. e. Van Deman, in very sensible
talk to the nurserymen assembled at
Portland July and 6, told good
story on tree peddler whom he met
somewhere in the south. The fellow
knew but little about his business and
perhaps cared less if he could only
make sales. The catalogue of the
nursery which he so poorly represent
ed gave a description of the common
edible chestnut. There was in this
connection a statement of the value
of the chestnuts as food the same be-
ing highly recommended. Further
over there was in the same catalogue
n list of ornamental shade trees and
among them was mentioned the horse
chestnut. The horse chestnut, it is
we'll known, is not chestnut at all
but a buckeye. All the same this ig-
noramus was trying to sell the COM
mon horny handed farmers the horse
chestnut as capable of producing a
valuable food product and to prove
this he was reading to his customers
what was said about the edible chest
nut The lesson Van Deman wished
to convey in this story was that nurs-
erymen should not send out agents
unless they understood their business.
If thoy did send out illprepared agents
and they made mistakes, as they would
be sure to do, they would be at least
morally responsible for the wrong
they did through their ignorance. Tree
peddlerS, it was admitted are