VOL. LXII
INDIANAPOLIS, DECEMBER 14, 1907.
NO. 50
Indiana State Horticultural Society.
The attendance at the annual meeting
of our State Horticultural Society, Dec.
4 and 5 was unusually good, showing an
increasing interest in the subject of fruit
growing among our farmers.
The display of fruit also was unexpectedly large and fine, including all our old
favorite winter varieties and several new
ones.
President H. H. Swaim in his annual
address alluded to the undeveloped opportunities in our state for producing greater
quantities of fine fruit, but he said the
tendency is to improve, and he appealed
to all to unite in a continued effort for a
greater Indiana. He spoke of the unfavorable season, but added that altho
the crop was a practical failure, the season was fruitful with lessons for the horticulturist. The isolated cases where partial crops of fruit were secured were well
worth investigating, he said, to learn if
possible the cause for success amidst a
general failure. A careful study of the
conditions in these orchards reveals the
fact that success came only to orchards
which had the best of care, which were
(systematically sprayed, pruned and fed,
and thus vitality of the trees was kept to
the highest point. The elevation of the
orchard-was clearly shown to be an important factor, and in some instances an
effective wind break must be given a portion of the credit.
What is true of the tree fruits is equally true of the small fruits; those which
had nearest the ideal conditions survived
best the severe weather. Thus a careful study of the condition and treatment
•f these successful orchards and fruit
plantations emphasizes the necessity of
always maintaining the highest possible
vitality of our trees, and teaches valuable
lessons which may more than recompense
us for the loss of the crop.
Another good result of the untoward
season has been in lessening the ravages
ef many of our insect foes; in some cases
by starvation; even the San Jose scale has
not shown its usual aggressive activity.
He spoke of the good results arising
from the work of the society in the new
orchards that are being planted thruout
the state. He called the southern part
•f the state the future garden of Indiana,
and said the people there are anxious to
learn up-to-date methods of cultivation
and the principles of practical fruit culture.
He commended the demonstration work
of the society; also the work of the legislative committee at the last session.
In conclusion he entreated the members
to unite in such a vigorous and harmonious campaign for the advancement of the
horticultural interests of the state, as
wonld in the near future place Indiana
where she belongs, among the great horticultural states of the Nation.
The meeting opened at 1:30 p. m. with
Pres. address. The report of Secretary
Flick showed as follows:
State fund balance 299.79
Appropriation    from   State 2,600.00
Total 2899.79
Total disbursements 2123.55
Tearing balance 776.24
Which was   returned    to State    Treasure
Balance   on    hand    belonging    to    State
Society 237.00
Dues from members 60.00
Total     297.00
Which amount is now on hand.
The treasure's report corresponded
with the above.
Mr. Burton, speaking of the lessons of
the past season, at the experimental orchard, said that there are now 160 varieties growing in the orchard. Of these
he spoke of the I.ongfield which he said
had not withstood the severe weather of
the past winter; he spoke favorably of the
Banana; Kinnard is of excellent quality,
the summer Rambo is good quality, but
too small; the Aiken is prettier and better
than Winesap. A number of Winesap
trees, planted four years, bloomed freely
last spring,    but bore no fruit on account
culars were distributed after the talks,
and great interest was shown all along
the line. Some 5000 people heard the
lectures. The B. & O. S. W. Railroad
company was complimented and thanked
for its generosity in placiog a train at
the disposal of the Horticultural lecturers.
Mr. Hobbs and others on the train testified to the interest of the people in the
lectures and their bulletins distributed. In
answer to the question, Bordeaux mixture
was given as the remedy for the bitter
rot, by Prof. Woodbury. The treatment,
however, must be very thoro, five or six
times, perhaps.
A Warning to Threshermen.
of the cold weather that followed. There
are several hundred seedlings in bearing,
but few of whicb seem to be of sufficient
value to propogate, some of the best of
them he had on exhibition; a hybrid between the Ben Davis and Genet Mr. Burton said was very early and of fine quality.
Hon. W. H. Ragan, of the U. S. Pomo-
logical Department spoke of the value of
this experimental work, and said it was
fair to expect that it will result in bringing forth many valuable new varieties.
B. W. Douglass, State Entomologist,
gave some statements regarding the work
h-» is doing, and intending to do, for the
horticultural interests of the State. His
work has been:
1. Inspector of nurseries.
2. Inspector of private orchards.
3. Enforcing the law on the subject.
4. Studying new insect pests and fungus diseases.
5 and 6. Preparing and issuing bulletins,    and   talks  before  institutes.
Out of 163 nurseries of the State 108
have been entitled to certificates. He
has found several new pests, and will issue a bulletin on the subject, giving names
and   descriptions.
One speaker told of finding a very small
species of lady bug among the San Jose
scales,    hut could find but one.
Mr. Hale spoke of the work of the
snowy cricket, which eats into apples
from an eighth to a quarter of an inch,
and causes them to decay.
Prof. C. G. Woodbury spoke of the
special fruit train in October. Twenty-
four stops were made on the trip.      Cir-
Experiment Work.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
There is a modest man in the Department of Agriculture, who has charge of
one of the most important sections of that
portfolio—A. C. True, Director of the
Office of Experiment Stations. Unobtrusive and conservative, Doctor True has
bad for years one of the hardest worked
divisions of the Department, and has seen
it grow from small to very large proportions, keeping pace with the growth of
the Department itself. It has been frequently said that if there seemed no place
else in whieh to put a new investigation
or work, why let the Office of Experiment Stations have it. So many un-
j classified studies resulting from the var-
j ied work in which the Department is en-
| gaged in connection with the various experiment stations in all parts of the country, have come before the former that it
has been natural that the Office of Experiment Stations should assume their prosecution. The scope of the work of this
, office is therefore wide. Outside of the
office work at Washington, it includes the
important Alaska station, in which Territory there are immense possibilities for
improvement in agriculture, the Hawaiian station, where the opportunity for
the government to develop diversified agriculture and horticulture is equally great.
tni' I'orto Rico station, in which island a
must important agricultural evolution is
in progress, and such special work as nutrition investigations, irrigation farm in-
i vestigations, and other experiments which,
U stated, come before the Department
nnd which do not seem to exactly fit any
| other division.
As a single instance, the office has taken
up vigorously the subject of agricultural
education and nothing could be more stimulating and instructive than Doctor
True's own words on the question of the
progress of agricultural education in the
United States. Listen to this summarization of its forward movement:
"Agricultural education is making
friends everywhere. The President of
die United States, the Secretary of Agriculture; the governors of several states,
the presidents of some of the great universities, and otber officials high in tbe
councils of the nation have given public
utterance during the year to their belief
in the instruction of the masses of our
rural people along agricultural lines.
Numerous bills providing for additional
federal aid to agricutural education of
different grades have been introduced in
last Congress, and the state legislatures
have given in several states large and in
many instances substantial aid to agr1
cultural colleges and schools and to itinerant agricultural enterprises of educational nature. The Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers, the
National Grange, the National Farmers'
Congress and other large associations of
educators and farmers have adopted resolutions declaring in unmistakable terms
their belief in agricultural education and
their desire that it receive more liberal
support. Tbe newspapers and periodicals all over tne country have given expression of public sentiment in these matters.
"This Office is endeavoring to aid this
movement as a general agency, cooperating with the other branches of this Department of the state agricultural colleges
and experiment stations and the State de-
parments of agriculture and education. It
is hoped that in this way it may be possible to incorporate speedily in courses
of instruction in agriculture whatever useful results are obtained in the research
work of the Department and the stations,
they bring the results of experience of agricultural education at home and abroad
tu bear on the problems connected with
the development of a system of public
education better a'dapted to the needs of
our rural communities, and to enable the
rural people throughout the country to understand what is required to make their
schools more effective and to take proper
measures for the enrichment of country
life and the permanent prosperity of
American agriculture."
The Grand Lodge of Kentucky Masons,
which was in session in Louisville recently, adopted an amendment to the constitution which prohibits any many who is
engaged in the manufacture or sale of
intoxicating liquor from becoming a member of any Masonic Lodge in the State.
The amendment does not apply to men
who are already Masons, but applies to
all future applications for membership.
The amendment was adopted by the decisive vote of 430 to 72.
Austin Corbin, whose game preserve in
New Hampshire was one of the hobbies
of his famous father, has found the Corbin buffalo herd successful to the point of
embarrassment Despite the predictions of
old plainsmen that the animals would not
breed in the New Hampshire park, the
herd has increased and multiplied until it
is becoming a problem to supply enongh
grazing space for them even in so large
a tract as the Corbin fence incloses.