The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-10
MAKES A FIGHT
FOR THE FARM
Salt Lake County Horticultural So
ciety Goes on Record.
COMMITTEE GIVES FACTS
PREPARE TO GATHER FRUIT FOR
THE STATE FAIR.

At the regular semi monthly meeting
Of the Salt Lake County Horticultural
society the following committee report
was unanimously adopted by rising
vote:
We, the committee of the Salt Lake
county Horticultural society, recon-
mend the following address to the
committee having in charge the loca-
ton Of the experiment farm, and to
the citizens of Salt Lake county:
Greatest Good to Greatest Number.
First, we consider that as a public
institution being inaugurated and sup
ported by the taxes of the citizens of
the state of Utah. the greatest benefit
to-the largest number of citizens should
be the first and nearly the only con-
sideratiOn for its location.
Secondly, the old saying that the
man who pays the fiddler should have
the opportunity to dance may not be
overlooked IN considering this matter.
Taking this last question first. Salt
Lake county, paying about One-third of
the taxes of the state, may fairly COM
plain when We hear that it has been
ruled out Of consideration TO begin
with. Why? 1t may be fairly asked.
Why?
Talk of Smeiter Smoke.
"Oh, the smelter smoke. we will most
likely be told. Well and good, let us
consider that very question. The
smelter smoke is a serious question,
put It's effect so far has mainly been
located on a strip of land about half
mile east of the state road to about
Two miles west of the Jordan river,
and from Riverton on the south to the
south borders of Salt Lake City. or
about Twelfth South street, or a dis
lance of, say an average of sixteen
miles long by four miles wide because
the prevailing winds carry the smoke
within that variation and distance The
answer Will be that the smoke nuisance
goes outside this limit. 1t is one of
the questions that have to be proved
yet.
Bishop Spiers' farm. one of the loca-
tons offered. is on Fourteenth South
and Sixteenth and Seventeenth East
streets, right in the very best fruit
belt in the county. only a wire fence
dividing il on the west and a siX-rOd
road on the north and a ten-rOd field
on the east and common gulch on
the south from the best orchard in the
east bench and i'm the county This
farm is about two miles east of the
accepted east boundary of the smoke
belt. 1t seems that il should be one Of
the strongest inducements for the COM
mittee to favOrably consider it for the
location of the experiment farm. This
location would not only show Us what
plants and trees are most profitable
for Northern Central Utah but also
help TO solve the question how far the
smelter smoke is Injurious outside GER
tain well-known limits.
Salt Lake County Needs Help.
Now if Salt Lake county, the larg-
est revenue producing county in the
state, is not entitled to any assistance
in solving the smelter smoke question
on the basis of right and justice, where
in the name Of common sense are we
att Especially when it can be done as
part of the experiments of our hOrti-
cultural farm, and instead of a draw
back, it seems that it should be a
strong inducement to determine its 10
cation here, and what and how much
the smelter smoke is really to be
charged with, outside certain limits,
and the experiment farm located out
side the regular smoke belt would help
to settle that question and possibly be
a means in helping TO save the most
valuable county from ruin and de-
struction
The Question of Soil.
Nov we come to the question of the
adaptabil Of the soil, and we are
told that Spanish Fork Is the best. On,
indeed! Are there any finer peaches,
pears or prunes raised than by Mr..
Ferris. whose orchard is divided from
Bishop Spiers' farm on the west side
by a wire fence and the value is So, 900
per acre, and as for grapes, dre there
any better raised anywhere than by
Mr.. Chambers, the cOlOred man whose
farm is just across the street, north
from the land offered and who values
| his land at $500 per acre, and at Mrs.
| ToTkelsOn's place. Just east of this land
offered. the finest apples in the cOun-
" are raised? So on all sides of this
land offered is choice fruit land for
all kinds of fruit.
Should Be Average Land.
Now we take for granted that an
/ experiment farm should be good aver
age land so that the fruit which is
raised should be a sample at said eX-
/ pertinent station, such as may be
! raised by average citizens with profit
z
/ of what use or benefit is the station to
/ be- We don't want extremes for the
/ station. We don't want, on the one
| hand, "a useless gravel bank like the
Agricultural college of Utah has its
orchard on. Nor do we want a piece
/ of land like d hot house i'm some warm
nook or corner like the st. George
| farm. where all kinds of plants could
] be raised that could not be raised on
| any good average soil in the middle
part of the state. Either of such lOca-
/ tons would be useless for any real
! object lessons 10 average farmers and
/ hOrticUlturalists, but We want good aV-
/ erage land with a hTst-class water
| right where all kinds of fruit make
/ good success. and where il can be
| shown what care, cultivation and Sc
/ lection can do 10 improve varieties OF
| fruit and their most successful Guilt
/ walton.
Last of the Arguments.
! Now we come To the last or weight.
! lest argument. the benefit of Tho
masses Of people. II is well known thai
/ the crOWding of the people TO the cities
away from the country is one of the
evils of the present generation, anC
! anything 10 cOuuteract that tendency
! is a problem that calls forth the wis
} dom of legislators and leading men
| and what Will do il better than fOl
young people who attend colleges anC
universities and high schools. whos'
minds are forming and their ideas TAX
ing root, than 10 see fine fruit tree!
loaded with fruit and proved TO b
highly profitable as we'll as pleasing &