REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



Prof. W. M. Munson. 



As noted in the reports of the Experiment Station for 1889 and 

 1890, several varieties of orchard fruits and small fruits have 

 been obtained b} 7 the Station, and some have been distributed to 

 different parts of the state. Previous to the present year, 

 however, there had been no organized department of horticulture, 

 and as the work came under my charge in February, the past year 

 has necessarily been largely taken up with pioneer work. 



At the time the department came under the charge of the writer, 

 a forcing-house, 20x100 feet, had just been completed. (See 

 Plate I.). The house is well constructed. The frame work is of 

 cypress, and the walls are of grout, while the building is heated 

 by hot water. The house is divided in the center by a glass 

 partition, and the hot water pipes have been so arranged that one 

 part may be kept at a much lower temperature than the other. 

 The warm house is arranged for bottom heat, and the cool house 

 for over-head heat. 



At the present time the warm house is used for tomatoes, 

 cucumbers and beans; while the other is devoted to lettuce, 

 radishes, cauliflowers and other plants requiring the lower tem- 

 perature. Plate II is from a photograph of the interior of the 

 cool house, as it appeared in December. 



The building in connection with the forcing house, was erected 

 during the year at a cost of about one thousand dollars, a part of 

 the expense being borne by the college. The building contains, 

 besides the furnace room and a room for the smaller garden tools, 

 a general laboratory and work room, a small office, a room for 

 herbarium work, and a well appointed photographic studio. In 

 all of our work photography is made to play an important part as 

 a means of preserving accurate records. 



The grounds devoted to this division include about ten acres 

 of land of varied character. More than half of this area is 

 devoted to fruit culture. The apple orchard contains about 115 

 varieties, 52 of which are Russian varieties obtained from Profes- 

 sor Budd, of Iowa. There are also 23 varieties of pears, 30 of 



