HOKTICULTLUAL SUGGKSTIONS. lU'J 



back to the fruitful fields of Nebraska. The neighbor who went to Colo- 

 rado had a similar experience in manj' respects; he lost the fruit of five 

 years' labor, and found that his own county was a better county for 

 fruit than Colorado with all its allurements on paper. 



Planting an orchard is like depositing money in a savings bank, 

 you get simple and compound interest. A man said to me this fall: "I 

 have fifteen bushels of Grimes' Golden apples that cost me two cents 

 per bushel." Asking how this could be he replied, "The tree cost me 

 thirty cents and to all appearances it is good for ten more crops." A 

 good investment I should say. A drainage ditch was being dug in 

 Dodge county. The right-of-way required the purchase of three Wine- 

 sap apple trees, twelve years old. Tho purchasing agent allowed $20 

 each, the original cost was twenty cents each, and the owner did not get 

 too much. A farm for sale upon which a good orchard is located com- 

 mands a higher price than the farm without an orchard. In advertising 

 a house and lot for sale, the owner never fails to state that there are 

 fine shade trees on the place, shrubs around the house, twenty bearing 

 fruit trees, and all kinds of small fruit. 



Fruit growing has its vicissitudes; there are early and late frosts; 

 there are insects that bite and suck and sting; there are rodents that 

 gnaw roots; domestic animals will destroy trees; weeds are natural ene- 

 mies; hail, drouth, and wind often play havoc. But what crop is there 

 that is not subject to these besetments? The man who complains that 

 fruit growing does not pay in Nebraska, not even for home use, is the 

 man who plants his trees in a hurry, never cultivates them, gives them 

 no water during a drouth, has no time to prune, does not know a spraying 

 machine when he sees it; in fact absolutely neglects the trees after 

 planting them. This man says that it is cheaper to buy fruit, but about 

 the only time the children have any apples to eat is at Christmas time 

 or some special occasion. Ordinary care and intelligence are as neces- 

 sary in fruit growing as in any other line of endeavor. 



1 think I cannot do better in closing than to recommend that each 

 farmer in the state become a member of the State Horticultural Society. 

 If you want to do something of permanent value, plant some trees and 

 flowers, and this may prove to be more enduring than most of your other 

 accomplishments. 



Professor Bessey of the State University is the Burbank of Nebraska, 

 and he has been telling us to allow the leaves to lie on the lawn during 

 the winter as a mulch to the shrubs and trees. Bixby of the Lincoln 

 Journal has tried the plan and philosophizes as fellows: 



What he remarked — I read it all. 



Nor did I doubt or scoff it; 

 Said I: "When leaves fall in the fall 



My lawn sha'l get the profit." 

 In time they fell — T let them rest. 



Since that could be no blunder — 



