Discussion. 53 



by staying in Wisconsin, Mr. Smith growing cabbages, I 

 growing pickles, Kellogg growing pears, Loudon growing 

 strawberries, I think if we all pay attention to these indus- 

 tries, we should come out ahead of California industries. 



President Smith — I saw a statement not long ago to this 

 effect: Wisconsin as compared to California had a larger 

 aggregate of wealth, and the aggregate wealth per capita 

 was very much greater. I think nearly double that of Cali- 

 fornia. 



Mr. Stickney — I should not doubt that statement at all 

 Mr. Smith. 



President Smith — I was quite surprised at it. 



Mr. Stickney — In point of fact is not Wisconsin very 

 highly favored in many points? In mineral wealth she is 

 very rich. 



President Smith — I have traveled many thousand miles 

 these last few years and my impression has been that no 

 state I have ever traveled in shows in the aggregate so pros- 

 perous a condition of the farmers as the farmers of Wis- 

 consin. The average condition of the farmer ^is better in 

 Wisconsin than in any state I know of. 



Mr. Stickney — The matter of water supply though not 

 perhaps horticultural may perhaps interest you. Of course 

 they have to have water to raise anything. There is just 

 this much raised in independent of irrigation and that is 

 in some localities an occasional crop of grain. Most of the 

 hay is made of grain cut in an imnature condition. That 

 is often grown up to the point of cutting for this purpose 

 But everything else that you want you must irrigate for. 

 In the nrst place too hilly land must be reduced to a certain 

 levo.l and that involves a great expense. This water supply 

 costs on an average about $2.50 to the acre. Then you are 

 down here ten miles on an irrigating ditch and all along the 

 line you must take the water when it will reach you. Pos- 

 sibly if there was an abundance of water by some especial 

 request you could vary the time somewhat. But practically, 

 however, you have to take the water when you can get it. 

 When you do get it you have to be out there with your hoe 

 and dancing around those little mud ditches, and you have 



