336 TBANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTUEAL 



As Langstroth observes, '' Nature has stamped the seal of in- 

 finity on all her works," the fact becomes apparent that horticulture 

 and the sciences related to it can be studied as far as time, education, 

 and ability permit, for, like unlimited space, " end, there is none." 



A few years ago Wilbur Atkinson, and some other newspaper 

 correspondents, wrote numerous articles for the press, warning 

 settlers not to go west of the one hundredth meridian of longitude, 

 as all this vast territory was an arid region, only fit for cattle to live 

 on. Hundreds who ventured to engage in agriculture soon discovered 

 the folly of trying to raise crops where the rainfall was utterly in- 

 sufficient for their requirements. The dry earth, made so by almost 

 constant sunshine during the day, mocked rain's best efforts to coax 

 from it even a scanty living. Horace Greeley, the great journalist,was 

 one of the first to see the advantages of irrigation, and the town 

 which bears his name with its wonderful success, is to-day a living 

 proof of the accuracy of his foresightedness. The discovery of 

 valuable mines in the mountains west of this territory attracted 

 thousands of prospectors and laborers, and the extravagant prices 

 demanded for nearly all kinds of food supplies encouraged 

 production. The rivers and mountain streams have been utilized, 

 canals and irrigating ditches have been constructed, and tens of 

 thousands of formerly sun-parched acres, have, by the aid of water, 

 been made to blossom as the rose and contribute to man's pros- 

 perity. A large part of this region, which was pictured on the 

 school maps of thirty or forty yeai's ago as " The Great American 

 Desert," now produces its wealth of golden grain, beautiful flowers 

 and sun-painted fruits in their seasons. During the past year, and 

 one or two preceding ones, the status of agriculture has wonderfully 

 improved throughout a large part of this extensive region. Rain- 

 falls are more frequent, and farmers are beginning to see a rainbow 

 of promise, giving further assurances of success. What has caused 

 this change? Some assert that electrical currents follow the lines 

 of railway and produce rain, while others maintain that the vast 

 quantity of water evaporated from the cultivated fields, fall again in 

 this region. Regarding the latter view as the correct one, it follows 

 that horticulture benefits its twin sister, agriculture. 



When all the cultivatable lands of this region shall be improved 

 by man and supplied with all the appurtenances pertaining to his wel- 

 fare; when thousands of pleasant homes, occupied with enlightened 

 and happy members of the human family; when churches, schools and 

 colleges are erected and supported; when manufactures and commerce 

 are extended over this iuimense area, where the tracks of the Indian and 

 buffalo are yet scarcely obliterated; one of the potent factors, and 

 not the least, by any means, producing this change, will be horti- 

 culture. 



Any lady will prize more highly a genuine diamond ring than 

 one made of paste; and millions of intelligent, sovereign people, 



