VOL. LXI;
DEC 14 1906
^~>
INDIANAPOLIS, DECEMBER 15, 1906
NO. 50
$$ovticnltnve.
Indiana State Horticultural Society
Annual   Meeting.
The State Horticultural Society opened
in room 12 State House on Wednesday at
1:30 p. m., with one of the largest gatherings of fruit growers we have ever seen at
lhe annual meeting.
— President's Address. —
"Another seed time and harvest are past
and we are met to recount our successes
and failures, to learn the lessons taught
by each, and to devise means for the advancement of the horticultural interests
of our State.
The policy of this Society has always
been progressive, bnt in recent years
there has been an awakening which augurs well for fruit growers in Indiana.
In our efforts to interest more people in
the cause, a few years ago we established
a Horticultural Committee with one member from each cogressional district, which
has resulted in a very gratifying increase
in our membership. We have united with
us the Potato Growers' Association, and
have broadened the scope of our programs
to emihrace  a greater variety of subjects.
We have increased the efficiency of our
■work hy kppptn^ th-. oiBce 'twf the secretary
open to the public every working day in
the year, aud making an effort to better
advertise the horticultural possibilities of
our State.
In our experimental orchard we are
testing new varieties of fruit as they appear, in comparison with established
varieties and are making a series of experiments in crossing and hybridizing
with a view to creating new and improved
varieties; we do not expect great results
from this at once, but if continued under
intelligent management by this Society,
we may confidently expect results in time
that will be well worth the effort and
which will stand a lasting monument to
the  Indiana  Horticultural  Society.
We made the experiment last season of
giving practical demonstrations of the
principles of fruit growing at different
points in the State. With an up-to-date
equipment and skilled men in charge of the
work, it was au unequalled success and
at once met with popular favor. In my
opinion there is nothing which we have
undertaken that will accomplish as much
good as the continuation of this demonstration work, and I urge that it be continued as far as practicable.
The year's work, with a few exceptions,
has been a satisfactory one to the fruit
growers of our State. Severe drouths in
the spring damaged small fruits and vegetables in the southern parts of the State,
and a severe freeze in October damaged
much fruit and many trees in the northern part. The yield of tree fruits was
probably above the average throughout
the state; apples were exceptionally good
in the northern and southern portions.
The August brood of codlin moth was
unusually numerous and lessened the crop
of market fruit very materially. This
emphasizes the necessity for spraying for
this brood and is a lesson by which we
should profit.
By far the greatest menace to the
fruit industry in Indiana is the alarming
increase of the San Jose scale. This pest
was first recognized in the State in a few
of the southern counties about ten years
ago, and in this comparatively short time
kas spread, until now it is to be found
in nearly every county in the State. This
is truly an alarming condition" which calls
ediate action, and I appeal to the
Society to take some action at this session,
looking to the control of this most dangerous pest. Our inspection law, while it
gives authority, does not provide means
for orchard work. I therefore recommend
that our legislative committee make an
earnest effort to secure an appropriation of
a sufficient amount to successfully check
the increase of 'this scale in our orchards,
towns and cities.
For a number of years we have recommended the enactment of a uniform package law, without result. I renew this
recommendation and urge our legislative
committee to give it serious consideration,
and  if  possible  secure  the  enactment of
State, by Prof. W. II. Ragan, and an
illustrated account of the San Jose scale,
and other insects of that class, by Prof.
Woodbury, of Purdue.
Mr. Ragan spoke of the work of the
Plioneers of horticulture in the State, the
varieties of fruit they introduced and cultivated, the origin of the State Horticultural Society in 1847., the first exhibition
of fruits at the State Fair in 1843; he gave
the names of our earliest fruit growers,
and much valuable information that is
worthy of being put into permanent form
for the benefit of future generations of
fruit growers in the State.
The description of the San Jose
and other scales was made clear by stere-
work be continued. Regarding the destruction wrought by the San Jose scale,
its spread in Indiana and the appropriation for carrying on the orchard inspection
work, the resolutions said:
"Whereas, The insect known as tlie San
Jose scale is acknowledged iby all fruit
growers to be one of the most dangerous insect pests which has ever been introduced
into this country, and
•Whereas, This insect is known to exist in sixty-three counties in this State and
is coustantly spreading, thereby causing an
annual loss of thousands of dollars and to
the extent that it threatens the destruction of the entire fruit interests of the
State and the forestry as well; and
Farm Home of D. O. Dilling, Wayne County.
such a law.
This is the forty-sixth anniversary of
the founding of tbis Society, and our history shows a steady advancement, until
we now stand stronger than ever before.
As we near the close of our first fifty years
let us make an earnest and mighty effort
to round out the half-century, with a
record which we can look upon with
pride.*'
The report of Joe A. Burton on the Experimental orchard was interesting and
showed that much valuable work is being
done in this direction. The insects seem
to be as troublesome in the State orchard
as elsewhere in the State.
— The San Jose Scale —
The report of I'rof Troop, State Ento-
m«.legist, dealt largely with the San Jose
scale, and showed that this pest is rapidly
spreading  over  tlie   State. He  said   it
is the most dangerous insect pest in the
State. It has spread from 44 counties in
1905 to 02 counties the present year, and
within the coming year will no doubt have
made its way into every county.
He recommended an appropriation of
$5,000 for orchard inspection alone.
Prof. J. C. Blair, of the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station discussed the
subject of
— Cold Storage for the Farm —
Only about one-fourth of the apples produced in the country are in cold storage.
There should be some 120,000,000 barrels
put in storage. In that case there would
be enough to supply every man, woman
and child with an apple or two every day
in the year.
The evening session was devoted to the
hearing of a long and very interesting
history  of  the   early   horticulture  of  the
opticou slides thrown onto a large screen.
It was a valuable and much appreciated
exhibition, and one that should be given
in all the fruit growing sections of the
State.
RESOLUTIONS.
The Society adopted the following resolutions:
— On Free Seed Distribution. —
••Whereas, The United States Government is now expending $500,000 annually
in the purchase and free distribution of
common varieties of garden and field seeds
which have been upon the market for
years, and are. therefore, of no value in
tl»e advancement of scientific agriculture:
therefore, be it
"Resolved. That the Iudiana Horticultural Sniiety takes this opportunity, of expressing its disapproval of the present system of distributing seeds and respectfully ask the senators and representatives
from Indiana iu Congress to support a
measure to take the money now expended
in the free distribution of seeds and turn
it into the Department of Agriculture for
use in the collection and distribution of
really rare and valuable seeds aud plants
from all parts of the world, the same to
be distributed through the agricultural colleges aud experiment stations."
— A   Uniform  Packing  Law. —
"Resolved,  That we  instruct our committee on legislation to, if possible, secure,
through the next (ieneral Assembly, a uniform packing law."
— $10,000 Asked For. —
"Whereas, The present appropriation
for orchard and nursery insepction is inadequate for the purpose; therefore be it
'•Resolved, That this society does hereby direct its legislative committee to earnestly endeavor to get an annual appropriation from the General Assembly of
$10,000 for the next two years for use at
the direction of the state entomologist in
caryring on the work of orchard inspection and to assist in stamping out the San
.lose scale and other injurious insects that
infest the trees."
— The San Jose Scale. —
The resolutions heartily    indorsed    the
work   at   the   experiment   orchard   during
the last year and  recommended  that the
Better School Laws Wanted.
Editors Iudiana Farmer:
In this series of letters it is not our
purpose to cast any reflections on any
friend of education nor on "Our School
System;" but we do wish to call the attention of the State Representatives to some
of the laws that govern our common
school system.
The laws that govern any State institution are to a greater or less degree responsible for the success or failure of that institution, and our common schools are no
exception to the rule.
The educational, benevolent and penal
institutions form a part of the public service of the state and have laws for the
administration of each. Each one has a
clearly defined purpose and should have a
distinct head.     (All have but one).
Our common school is a state institution and is a part of the public school system of the state. What can be said of
the head of this institution? Has it got
a head in the true meaning of the term?
Have we a common school system? If
so will some one please define it or even
give us a description of it?
Laws should express the will of the people. Whose will do the laws that create
the State Board of Education and Board
sit Text-Book Commissioners express?
Whose will does the present text-book law
express; also the position of truant officer?
Do these laws express the will of ten
per cent of the citizens of the state?
This subject of the common schools is
a plain business proposition and does not
require a great number of laws to govern.
It is the State's interest as well as its citizens for those laws to be passed based
on justice and common-sense.
In making the above observations we
have not only done our duty as a citizen
but we claim the right to do so as a parent, tax-payer and one interested in education and one with over thirty years experience in school work. B, F. S.
Carroll Co.
Near Columbus two men were arrested
for hunting on Sunday. This is setting a
good example for other communities pestered with Sabbath breaking hunters.