The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1923-01-25

by the same methods and both have
obtained, Independently Of each other,
the most remarkable results.
The only differences have been,
that while in California, Luther Bur
bank has enjoyed an ideal climate
in which to conduct his experiments
and has been given by the state and
by private contribution an unlimited
amount of money with which to work,
Professor Hansen in South Dakota
has been from the very outset handi-
capped to the last degree by the scanty
and wholly insufficient appropriations
and by an almost total lack of room
and facilities for the conducting of
his experiments.
Men like Luther Burbank and Pro
feSsOr Hansen are Of the utmost scare
ity and in the entire world there does
not exist a dozen men who can be
considered as their peers in the work
to which they have devoted their lives.
South Dakota is most fortunate in the
fact that Professor Hansen is connect
ed with the State college and in the
fact that he has been 50 much inter
ested in his work in South Dakota,
that he has declined opportunities to
go to other places where his abilities
would be far better recognized, both
by compensation and by what he him
self would esteem of greater value
facilities for carrying on his expert
ments.
while Professor Hansen has been
at work at the State college at Brook
ings for far less than half a century,
the results which he has obtained are
just as noteworthy, taking into con
sideration the time devoted to them,
as are he results obtained by Luther
Burbank at Santa Rosa, and the work
of Professor Hansen has been far more
difficult than that of Luther Burbank
by reason of the fact that the climatic
conditions in South Dakota are vastly
less favorable than those in California
and it is much more difficult to achieve
results when working with the mosl
meager facilities than when afforded
the assistance of an open purse upon
the part both of the state and of the
private contributor.
what Professor Hansen has done
for South Dakota is to develop fruits
and plants adapted to the climatic con-
ditiOns Of the state and thus to extend
the range Of products which can sue
c~essfully be raised in South Dakota.
In addition, he has made many sue
Cessful experiments in ornamental
plants and shrubs and has developed
and is developing varieties Of trees,
fruits, shrubs and plants which bid
fair to be Of the greatest utility to the
people Of South Dakota and to add
thousands, if not millions of dollars
to the income of the state.
What is Immediately needed for the
needs Of experimental horticulture is
set forth in the letter of Professor
Hansen to the South Dakota State
Budget Board, dated February IA, 1922.
In this letter his requests are in keep
ing with the innate modesty of the
man and are not nearly as large as
could be utilized to the greatest bene-
fit Of the state.
In the possession Of Professor Han
sen, one Of the few men Of the state
who possesses, not only a national.
but an international reputation, South
Dakota possesses a most valuable as
set and one which should be exploited
to the very limit. The amount OF
money necessary to carry o. his work
is a mere bagetelle compared to the
moneys which the legislatures Of South
Dakota, for many years past, have
been accustomed to squander upon
projects which could not by any pos
sibility produce n per cent Of the
direct benefit to the state that could
be obtained by supplying the money
necessary to carry on horticultural ex
periments under the direction of Pro
fessOr Hansen. His most modest re-
quests should be acceded to by the
Legislature with out hesitation. Such
appropriations will be like bread cast
upon the waters-they will return a
hundred thousand fold"