THE FARMER AND HORTICULTURE. 2CjI 



The question, how to supply the farmers of our land with a 

 practical knowledge of horticulture and with instructions suited to 

 their needs, and how to induce them to heed such knowledge and 

 instructions, has been one of frequent mention and consideration 

 at the annual meetings of our different horticultural societies. We 

 believe that much of this information might be furnished direct from 

 the nurseryman to the planter by means of a simple circular contain- 

 ing plain and brief directions for the planting and future care of 

 what has been procured from the nursery, said circular to accom- 

 pany each bill of goods when delivered. By increasing knowledge, 

 we stimulate interest, and when sufficient knowledge has been gained 

 and interest awakened, more time will be devoted to the work of 

 horticulture among our farmer friends, and less complaints and 

 failures will be the result. 



Mr. Lord : I simply want to call attention to one point in the 

 paper in regard to giving instruction in the setting of trees -and the 

 care of the ground. I have a relative living on the Detroit river, 

 Michigan, who is a merchant, and he bought a farm on the river 

 and thought he would invest in fruit. He said to me two years 

 ago he did not know what in the world to do with his trees. He 

 could not get a suitable man to take care of them, and he did not 

 know 'where to apply. I said to him, "Let me give you a little 

 advice. Send to the state university to Prof. Cook to send a student 

 down to trim up and put your trees in order." He wrote me a year 

 afterward that he had taken my advice and had achieved remark- 

 able success. So I want to say to these farmers, send up to the 

 university and get the young men to help you out. 



Mr. Yahnke : Yes, or send the farmer to the university. 



The President : The speaker was right about one thing, al- 

 though it was contrary to the general opinion. He said knowledge 

 must grow in order to take an interest in anything. The person 

 who is to take that interest must first know something about that 

 subject, and as he learns a little more he will become more and more 

 interested ; and as he is determined at the outset that he will know 

 something about it, and as he begins to learn something about it, 

 he will begin to want to know a little more; and he keeps en in- 

 creasing and increasing his knowledge as long as he keeps on study- 

 ing. 



Mr. Jno. Freeman : "Although one of our own number T feel 

 I cannot keep still, although I did not say much outside of our 

 scheduled program. I enjoyed this meeting very much, and I felt a 

 year ago that I could not have received more enjoyment from a 

 similar meeting than I did then. But I have received much more 

 instruction and been much more interested in this session than in 

 the one a year ago." 



