430 ANNUAL REPORT. 



"My opinion is that all laws for the protection of the orchardist 

 against the ravages of insects should be plain and simple in construc- 

 tion, and reasonable and not unnecessarily harsh in their application. 

 The first and indispensible consideration, is a liberal appropriation of 

 money by the state, and the creating of a board of commissioners — 

 their actual traveling and incidental expenses to be borne by the state. 

 This board shall be selected on account of their superior knowledge 

 and experience in horticulture, and the appointing power in the selec- 

 tion of its members should by all means ignore party politics. The 

 duties of the secretary of a useful and efficient board of horticulture 

 such as every fruit growing state should have, will be so large and ex- 

 tensive as to require not a mere clerk but a first class man, and his 

 compensation should be sufficient to pay him well for his time. The 

 same as regards the office of the chief horticultural officer, who should 

 devote his entire time and attention to the duties of his office, chiefly 

 in the fields, giving instruction in the mode and manner of planting, 

 pruning, cultivation, etc. In our state the secretary receives $150.00 

 per month and the latter officer $200.00 and all his traveling expenses 

 are paid by the state. The last appropriation by our legislature was 

 ten thousand dollars per year for the state board of horticulture; fif- 

 teen thousand dollars per year for the state board of viticulture; also 

 viticultural, experimental, scientific and analytical work, including 

 apparatus and suitable accomodations for the same, under joint con- 

 trol of the board of regents and the state university and the board of 

 state viticultural commissioners, five thousand dollars per year. I 

 have not a doubt but for every dollar our state has expended in aid 

 of these interests there has been returned in an increase of taxable 

 property, more than it would have been without such appropriations, 

 more than twenty dollars for every one expended by the state. 



Secretary Clark of the Colorado state horticultural society, after 

 referring briefly to legislation in that state, says : 



In my opinion the subject of fruit culture and tree culture should 

 receive from our legislature special attention. Our supply of natural 

 timber, never very large and limited in variety, will soon be exhausted 

 and unless replaced by artificial growth, a heav}' drain will eventually 

 be made on the finances of the people to supply timber for mechanical 

 uses. The question of the influence of forest trees on the water suppl}'' 

 for irrigation comes in here, and is one of vast importance. The influ- 

 ence of forests on the evaporation and precipitation of moisture is not 

 as generally understood as it should be, and facts bearing on this whole 



