HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 75 



OUTLYING EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. 



The benefits we are deriving from our sixteen outlying stations 

 is comparatively very small, and we are not receiving the amount 

 of experimental knowledge we should. And can it be expected to 

 improve with the present system of volunteer service under the 

 exclusive management of those in charge. The reports are very 

 meagre and of little value as indicators of what is valuable for 

 planting in particular localities. Either from lack of ability of the 

 superintendents or their inactivity or indisposition. The first we 

 hope is not true, if the two latter, there should be a change of some 

 kind made. 



Last year we had reports from the central and two out-lying 

 stations. This is not enough, and some remedy should be devised 

 by our executive committee for paid service and getting more re- 

 ports of value. 



I do not wish to weary your patience by saying too much upon 

 experimental work, but Professor Taft, on the value of this class 

 of work in Missouri Horticultural Report of 1888, has given some 

 very grand points on " Needs in Experimentation for the Develop- 

 ment of Horticulture," that are equally applicable to Minnesota. 

 He says: 



First — Seed testing. "This will be of great importance not only 

 to the horticulturalist but to the farmers of our state. If it is 

 known we have a station to test seeds, it will have a tendency to a 

 restraining influence preventing seedsmen sending out old and 

 worthless seed. Not alone the germinating qualities should be 

 tested, but the purity of the seed should be examined. This sta- 

 tion should also be a seed control for the state, then the seed 

 dealers would take more care in breeding, selecting and sending 

 out good, pure seed. The testing of all novelties in vegetables 

 and fruits could here be done at much less cost to our farmers 

 than in the old way of each buying for themselves. Those of 

 value could be ascertained and the worthless discarded. Testing 

 of the new novelties in fruits and vegetables should be one of the 

 duties required at the station and as fast as their value is ascer- 

 tained, the synonyms weeded out, and all seeds, plants and scions 

 of promising varieties sent to approved parties in different parts of 

 the state, who will test them on their soil and in their climate, and 

 report to the central station, whence the results can be sent out to 

 the people, thus saving the fruit and vegetable growers from wast- 

 ing their money in buying high-priced, worthless plants and seeds, 

 and a year's trial work. 



The testing of new varieties of shade and ornamental trees, 

 shrubs, vines and evergreens, should be made a valuable feature 

 of the work. Hybridization, originating of new varieties and the 

 improvement of old ones, new methods of preparing the soil, new 

 machines, new methods of cultivating, planting, pruning and man- 

 aging different crops; the using of fertilizers in various forms and 

 ways in the production of certain crops, and in addition to this 

 work a new and almost unoccupied field is open for testing the 



