34 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



During the year that the students work upon this department, an en- 

 deavor is made to make them as familiar as possible with the performance 

 of the different operations of horticulture, and, beginning with the open- 

 ing of the spring term, they are assigned to such work as is required 

 by the various crops. The large number of trees in the orchards, and the 

 shrubbery upon the grounds, afford abundant opportunity for thorough, 

 practical instruction in the methods of pruning the different varieties, and 

 the planting of trees, and the sowing of the various garden crops which 

 follows, occupies the time for several weeks. Just before the close of 

 the summer term, the flow^er beds are prepared and planted, and in the 

 autumn the same beds are cleared and used for the planting of the spring 

 flowering bulbs. 



In the past the students have been here for most of the summer, and 

 • it has been possible to give them practice work in nearly all of the opera- 

 tions in horticulture; but in the future, owing to the summer vacation 

 being lengthened, there will be something over three months during which 

 the students will not be here, and it will be impossible to make the 

 instruction as complete as heretofore. Owing to the fact that consider- 

 able help will be required at that time, there will be an opportunity for 

 such of the students as wish to make themselves proficient in horti- 

 cultural work, to remain and not only secure the knowledge, but obtain 

 money that will aid in paying their expenses during the balance of the 

 year. Aside from the practical work in horticulture, considerable time 

 is given to the study of the various species of the plants grown in the 

 gardens and orchards and upon the lawn, and in the examination of the 

 different varieties of fruits and vegetables that are best adapted to our 

 climate. Attention is also given to the judging of fruit and to the 

 preparation and arrangement of fruit for exhibition. 



THE SHORT COURSES. 



During the winter two short courses in horticulture were arranged. 

 One relating to fruit culture and the other to winter vegetable garden- 

 ing and floriculture. The number of students in fruit culture was sixteen, 

 which was fully as many as were expected. The subject was treated 

 largely by lectures, and embraced even more thoroughly than in the reg- 

 ular course, the matter of planting and caring for orchards and small 

 fruit plantations. Particular attention was given to the cultivation and 

 care of orchards; to the spraying and the gathering and marketing of the 

 fruits. In addition to the hour spent each day in the class-room, the 

 students were required to devote at least one hour per day to reading 

 along the lines treated in the lectures, and considerable time was also 

 given to the discussion of the various matters relating to fruit culture. 

 Practical work was also given in grafting, budding and the other methods 

 of propagating plants, as well as to the pruning of the various orchard 

 trees. 



The number of students reporting for the course of floriculture was so 

 small that no special class was arranged for them, especially as they 

 wished to take the lectures in the course on fruit culture also. Arrange- 

 ments were made by which they were able to attend the lectures given to 

 the regular students in floriculture, and they were also given practical 



