236 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the home where I was raised we had a pretty farm and a 

 good orchard. I find with too many farmers it is simply dollars 

 and cents; anything that cannot be immediately turned into a prac- 

 tical value does not pay. They say it will not pay, there is no 

 money in it. A carload of trees came to our town. I made the 

 remark that I would give five dollars a bushel for every bushel of 

 apples they would raise on those trees if they would give me ten 

 cents for every tree that would never have an apple. We must do 

 something to change the method of furnishing trees to farmers. I 

 know hundreds of farmers who bought apple trees and never 

 grew an apple. They are either not educated to care for a tree, or 

 there is a hitch somewhere. I have fifty dollars' worth of trees 

 that never had an apple. I have seen the finest display of apples, 

 so we know they can be grown. I believe this society should 

 change its methods and educate farmers to cultivate apples. The 

 children say, "Father never got an apple." Many of the older men 

 say they will never plant another tree. I believe this society has 

 a great duty to perform in finding out where the trouble lies and 

 educating farmers how they may obtain fruit. We intend to have a 

 county horticultural society and a county beekeepers' association 

 so that we can get together closer and exchange ideas and then 

 send a delegate to the state society. 



Public Parks. — The best evidence we have of intelligence, en- 

 terprise and*" good taste in a community is to find in it a well 

 located, well arranged and well cared for public park. In locat- 

 ing a park it is best to secure if possible a nearby place, with 

 plenty of shade without waiting for trees to grow and plenty of 

 water. A park without water must always be a very tame affair. 

 A site extending along the banks of a river or lake is desirable. 

 If banks are low, perhaps excavation can be made and lagoons 

 formed which will add greatly to the beauty of an already beauti- 

 ful landscape. If no river or lake is available, then a creek, though 

 small, may be utilized. Excavations may be made and dams 

 may be erected forming little islands and lakelets that will serve 

 as mirrors to reflect nature's beauties in w T ays most charming to 

 behold. Should water become scarce, a gasoline engine will sup- 

 ply all demands, run gushing fountains and one arc light for each 

 one horse power of the engine. A city without a park is not attract- 

 ive. It is like a home without lawn, garden or flowers; like a 

 picture book with the pictures all left out. It may do for stupid 

 all-work and no-play people whose god is their money. But peo- 

 ple of a more cheerful and social turn of mind, who realize that all 

 the good things of this world were made to enjoy, can find more 

 congenial homes in towns where nature and art combine to beau- 

 tify and to charm. E. H. S. Dartt. 



