WINTER MEETING AT CARTHAGE. IL'3 



1 have mailed you a few dodgers, which I would lilte to have you place upon 

 a table where the members can get them, for I do not want the members of the old 

 Society to miss a chance at a good thing. 



With best wishes, I am, Yours truly, 



E. 'J'. HOLLISTKR. 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE IN MISSOURI. 



Mr. L. a. Goodman, Secretary : 



I had fully intended to prepare a paper for the meeting of the Missouri State 

 Horticultural Society this year, but my time has been so fully occupied with official 

 duties that the date for the meeting is at hand and the paper is unwritten. I shall 

 not prepare the paper now, but shall take this opportunity of making an urgent 

 plea for more work looking toward the advancement of horticulture in our State. 

 There are hundreds of questions to-day of the highest importance to every fruit, 

 vegetable and flower grower in Missouri, that can only be answered after a series 

 of careful experiments judiciously planned and scientifically carried out. I do not 

 have reference to the mere testing of varieties. This sort of work is well enough 

 in its place, but we neeel something deeper,8omething that will cause fruit-growers 

 all over the country to turn to Missouri as a light-giver upon horticultural sub- 

 jects. 



Why, for example, can not we improve the many fruits and vegetables already 

 known to be well adapted to the climate of our region ? The ideal strawberry, the 

 ideal peach, apple, and a long list of other fruits, are yet to be brought out. Why 

 can not Missouri make a name for herself by earnestly setting to work to obtain 

 some of these ideals? This, however, is only one question. There are others 

 equally important, such as the effect of soil, cultivation, manuring, etc., upon the 

 yield, color, size, shape, keeping qualities, and other important requisites of fruits 

 and vegetables ; the effect of weather on the fruitfulness and longevity of trees ; 

 the improvement of present methods of propagation ; the prevention of fungus 

 disease and the destruction of insect pests. Each of these subjects might be 

 dilated upon until a mere sketch of the points they cover would make a book. 



However, I suppose I have said enough along this line, and will attempt to 

 answer, in a brief way, the all-important question of how this work is to be done. 

 Private parties can not do it, of course, and such bsing the case, we must look to 

 the State for aid. 



Already we have an Experiment Station where exactly such work as here 

 outlined is supposed to be carried on. We do not know how much money is being 

 spent by the Experiment Station authorities in horticultural work, but we do know 

 that if justice were done the fruit-growers of Missouri, $5000 a year would be 

 devoted to their interests. This is a small sum, an insignificant sum, when we 

 take into consideration the interests at stake. I am morally certain that if $20,000^ 

 a year were properly expended in Missouri for horticultural work, that the money 

 would be returned a hundred-fold. As a beginning, I believe that $10,000 could be 

 used to good advantage. Five thousand dollars of this might, with all propriety, 

 come from the Experiment Station funds and the rest from the State proper. Every 

 dollar of this money should be placed where it will do the most good for horticul- 

 ture. It should not be used for costly improvements nor for paying high-salaried 

 officials having no direct connection with the work. Let it be shown in every 

 way that an honest, conscientious endeavor is being made to do good work, and I 

 am sure no fault will be found. I have perhaps already made this letter too long, 



