86 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Rork: It does not answer to base very much of an opinion on a 

 single incident. Now, this j'ear, north of us, near Grand Haven, where 

 the bluffs are high and there is fine hardwood timber, it has always been 

 frosty, and as a rule, under those bluffs, they are several degrees colder 

 than we are, but this year they went scott free and we froze. I would 

 rather have a covering of snow than aM the ditches there are, unless it is 

 a big one, like the Mississippi. 



Mr. Burdick: My pond and ditch are in a valley. The snow comes 

 from the hills and drops in there, waist deep, frequently, and I find that 

 when we have a drouth that pond and the ditches come in exceedingly 

 well. It is a pleasure to have ten or fifteen thousand barrels of water 

 stored up to use in dry times. A thousand barrels will give you If inch , 

 rainfall for an acre, so you see it does not take a very big reservoir or 

 pond to irrigate an acre. If you will use a cultivator or Breed weeder 

 it only takes a little water, rightly applied. 



Mr. Monroe: I think that this is one of the questions about which we 

 need to be pretty careful. We have had such glowing pictures of this 

 irrigation question, presented in different parts of the country, that we 

 are likely to over-estimate its value. I know there was no one thing in the 

 west in which I was more disappointed than that matter. I had read 

 quite a number of pamphlets on the subject, and I remember, when we 

 were in California, the glowing picture presented as to the advantages 

 of irrigation. Work was not interfered with at all ; when they got ready 

 for water, and the crops were ready for it, all they had to do was to turn 

 on a faucet. We had a very pleasing picture of the easy manner in which 

 water could be supplied, but when it came to the actual facts it was 

 greath' changed, and I am satisfied that we are likely to grow enthu- 

 siastic over the matter, and to spend a good deal of money foolishly in 

 irrigation; for, with my observation (and I tried to look into the matter 

 thoroughly), I doubt whether in that western country they can irrigate 

 much cheaper than in this state. At the Agricultural college they put 

 in a plant, as a part of the experimental work, with a view to testing the 

 matter carefully, and as the ordinary farmer or gardener would do. It 

 cos'ers something like nine acres and is under the charge of Prof. Taft, 

 who has had wide observation in regard to irrigation plants. He took 

 special pains in California, last year, in looking up the various methods 

 of distributing the water, so as to know in dollars and cents, as nearly 

 as possible, just what it costs for the various crops. There are a num- 

 ber of places around the state where they are making these tests, and 

 I think it is one of those things about which we should take a second 

 thought. We should let a few people experiment, and watch the effects 

 of their experiments so as to get the benefit of them. I may say, further, 

 that over at the college the intention is to carry that along from year 

 to year, so that we will know exactly what it costs, and just what the 

 returns will be from different crops. My attention has been called to 

 several cases where parties are putting up windmills, and have bought 

 traction engines and are putting in considerable piping, and it is very 

 clear to me that it will be a losing job. We had a case at our place, that 

 of Mr. Stearns. He has applied it in as inexpensive a way as possible. 

 He buys water of the village, draws it in barrels, and puts it around his 

 trees. Mr. Stearns is a practical man, and he is entirely satisfied that 



