LESSONS FROM OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE. 2/3 



LESSONS FROM OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE. 



DAVID SECOR, WINNEBAGO CITY. 



It is not the object of this paper to treat all phases of the sub- 

 ject of horticulture and forestry, but rather to speak more particu- 

 larly of that part that relates to farm life and the village home. 



It has been said that experience is a dear schoolmaster, and those 

 of us who have labored along horticultural lines for forty or fifty 

 years in Minnesota or northern Iowa can verify the truthfulness of 

 this statement. When the first efforts at fruit culture were being 

 made in the new and partially developed part of the country, there 

 was no lamp of experience to guide our efiforts, and we were grop- 

 ing in the dark. That mistakes were made, failures encountered, 

 and costly experiments had, we must in candor admit. The first 

 efiforts at fruit culture were made largely by selecting and planting 

 varieties that were successfully grown in the states of our na- 

 tivity, or where we had formerly lived. It was quite natural that 

 we should do this at that early day, as none had received lessons 

 from the school of experience, and all had imperfect knowledge of 

 varieties adapted to our climatic conditions. 



The fact that the wild crab apples, plums, currants, gooseberries, 

 grapes, strawberries and raspberries flourished in their native state 

 indicated that tame fruits might succeed, but in the efiforts to raise 

 tame fruits the most enthusiastic horticulturists of that early day 

 are the ones who had the most costly lessons of experience, but out 

 of the partial failures, costly though they were, profiting by the 

 lessons learned, and with perseverance commendable, success has 

 been attained, and the fact has been demonstrated that Minnesota 

 can raise fruits of high quality sufficient to supply the commercial 

 needs of the state. The citizens at large owe a debt of gratitude 

 to the enterprising pioneer horticulturists for the degree of suc- 

 cess attained, and for the experimental work now being carried on. 



The reports of the annual meeting of this society are of great 

 value to any person now engaged, or who expects to engage, in 

 fruit raising or tree planting. If recommendations therein made 

 of the kinds of trees, shrubs and plants worthy of cultivation are 

 followed, much money will be saved to the people of the state and 

 costly lessons of experience avoided. No person setting out an 

 orchard, planting forest trees, ornamental trees and shrubs, or 

 raising the small fruits, can afford to miss the benefits to be de- 

 rived from the lessons of experience taught in the reports of this 

 society. One dollar a year invested in membership fee, which en- 

 titles the member to the monthly and annual reports, and a careful 

 study of these reports, cannot fail of good results, and frequently 

 In saving many dollars to the investor. 



