240 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



Chicago, ten years ago, became a great distributiug point for fruits, 

 and the business has now assumed immense proportions. 



Horticulture is now divided into three distinct lines, these are : 

 Pomology, Aboriculture and Gardening ; the last includes flori- 

 culture. The time is, probably, not distant when still further sub- 

 divisions will be made, — in fact, in some directions this has already 

 been begun. Floriculture is divided into distinct branches, th'e 

 florist who deals in plants and he who deals in cut flowers. Vege- 

 table gardening is sub-divided, so that now some only raise that class 

 requiring hot-beds for their growth. Immense fields of cabbages 

 and cauliflowers are now raised yearly near Chicago, and some 

 growers pay attention to cabbage. At Kalamazoo the cultivation 

 and bleaching of celery is practiced as a distinct branch of gardening. 

 The enumeration might be continued indefinitely, but this must suf- 

 fice. Interests in horticulture sometimes require radical changes in 

 certaiu localities. Years ago every gardgner was anxious to beat his 

 neighbor in getting early potatoes, green corn, tomatoes, egg plant, 

 etc. The Chicago gardener pays little attention to extra early vege- 

 tables, except lettuce, raised entirely under glass in the winter. 

 Why? The South comes into competition in everything that can 

 be transported, hence there is no money in such vegetables. But the 

 cultivation of plants too delicate to bear transportation, like lettuce, 

 has been largely extended. 



Another interest in horticulture, only, however, in process of 

 developuient, is the putting of goods on the market only in the best 

 condition and of the first quality. There are men who will pay for 

 this class of fruits. The late Dr. Hull, of Albany, was the first man 

 who instituted this plan in Chicago. The consequence was, any 

 package of fruit l^^aring his mark, brought the top market price, 

 and that without inspection. Why ? He did not think he could 

 cheat the same purchaser twice. If the average fruit grower would 

 make up his mind to the same coui-se of procedure, it would not be 

 long before a man's name or trade-mark would be a guarantee of 

 the quality of the goods. . Cross-fertilization to produce new varie- 

 ties is attracting more and more attention from year to year, while 

 it may be imperative, that seeds washed from the pomace of the 

 cider-mill, must be used for the raising of stocks, it is imperative in 

 seeking to raise new varieties, that the seeds of the varieties operated 

 on be definitely known. The cross-fertilization of these varieties 

 should be accomplished in such a manner as to leave no doubt of 

 the accuracy of the operation. Another important industry is that 

 in relation to experimental horticulture. In this, the Experimental 

 Station of our several agricultural colleges, ma}- be of supreme 

 importance. The individual maj' be interested in a certain line of 

 work and accomplish great good, but he may die, perhaps, before 

 his experiments have been fully carried out. His heirs may not, 



