THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 34 JANUARY. 1906. No. 



Oiogpapt^y. 



PROF. N. E. HANSEN, BROOKINGS, S. D. 



Niels Elbbesen Hansen was born Jan. 4, 1866, near Ribe, Den- 

 mark. His paternal grandfather was a large farmer of much local 

 prominence, holding one township office for fifty-three years,, and 

 being honored by the king with the order of Dannebrog. His son, 

 Andreas Hansen, father of the subject of this sketch, was an artist 

 of much ability and also rendered valiant service as soldier in the 

 Danish-German war of 1848-50; afterwards spending five veari hi 

 study and travel through several countries of Europe. The family 

 came to America in 1873, living the first three years thereafter 

 in New York and New Jersey. In 1876, Des Moines, Iowa, became 

 the family home. 



In his earlier years many spare hours were devoted by young 

 Hansen to books and long tramps through the woods alone, col- 

 lecting natural history specimens, such as butterflies and o:her in- 

 sects; even while in Denmark the adjacent seacoast was ransacked 

 for shells, coral and seaweeds. School was begun when eight years 

 of age, and the East Des Moines high school, entered at thirteen. 

 After two years here, Hon. J. A. T. Hull, then secretary of state 

 and now congressman from Iowa, noticed a flaxen-headed boy 

 frequently prowling around among the solid books of the State 

 Library and gave Niels, an entire stranger to him, a place in his 

 office. After two years here, college was next in order, and after 

 four years at the Iowa Agricultural College, at Ames, Niels gradu- 

 ated in 1887. 



Entering the college with the intention of becoming an editor, 

 his life plans were changed by the twice-a-week freshman lectures 

 on horticulture by Prof. J. L. Budd, who at that time was enjoying 

 vigorous health and had just returned from his Russian explorations 

 of 1882. Professor Budd possessed a wonderful facultv for in- 

 spiring abiding enthusiasm in his students and giving them the 



