136 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
May, 1917 
Wisconsin horticulture 
Published Monthly by the 
Wisconsin State Horticultural Society 
12 N. Carroll St. 
Official organ of the Society. 
FREDERIC CRANE FIELD, Editor. 
Secretary W. S. H. S., Madison, Wis. 
Entered as second-class matter May 13, 
1912, at the postoffice at Madison, Wis- 
consin, under the Act of March 3, 1879. 
Advertising rates made known on appli- 
cation. 
Wisconsin State Horticultural Society 
Membership fee fifty cents, which in- 
cludes twenty-five cents subscription price 
of Wisconsin Horticulture. Remit fifty 
cents to Frederic Cranefield, Editor, Madi- 
son, Wis. 
Remit by Postal or Express Money Or- 
der. A dollar bill may be sent safely if 
wrapped or attached to a card, and pays 
for two years. Personal checks accepted. 
Postage stamps not accepted. 
OFFICERS. 
N. A. Rasmussen, President Oshkosh 
D. E. Bingham, Vice-President 
Sturgeon Bay 
L. G. Kellogg, Treasurer Ripon 
F. Cranefield, Secretary Madison 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 
N. A. Rasmussen Ex-officio 
D. E. Bingham Ex-officio 
L. G. Kellogg Ex-officio 
F. Cranefield Ex-officio 
1st Dist., A. Martini Lake Geneva 
2nd Dist., R. J. Coe Ft. Atkinson 
3rd Dist., H. H. Morgan Madison 
4th Dist., Henry Wilke Milwaukee 
5th Dist., C. V. Holsinger. . .Wauwatosa 
6th Dist., H. C. Christensen Oshkosh 
7th Dist., Wm. Toole, Sr Baraboo 
8th Dist., O. G. Malde Grand Rapids 
9th Dist., L. E. Birmingham Sturgeon Bay 
10th Dist., C. L. Richardson 
Chippewa Falls 
11th Dist., J. F. Hauser Bayfield 
BOARD OF MANAGERS. 
N. A. Rasmussen F. Cranefield 
L. G. Kellogg 
Our Duty. 
Men and Women of the State 
Horticultural Society ! A great 
responsibility rests on us. 
The nation is at war and the 
end of the war cannot be fore- 
seen. 
The surplus food supply of the 
world is exhausted and crop pros- 
pects for 1917 are not encourag- 
ing so far as cereals are con- 
cerned. 
Awaken then to the needs of 
the hour ! 
The great danger lies in indif- 
ference. Two things every one 
of us can do, first, plant, plant, 
sow seeds now and urge others 
to do the same. 
Second, Talk War, talk it day 
and night until it has penetrated 
the conscience of every man and 
woman of this land that we have 
signed up for war, a war that is 
bound to take its toll of lives great 
or small and bring sorrow and 
desolation to many of us. We 
cannot evade it, it is here, now 
and until we end it. 
Let us then do our duty, give 
the best that is in us in order that 
it may end quickly. It will fall 
to many to go as fighting men. It 
falls to most of us to perform an- 
other kind of service, but one 
none the less patriotic, to feed the 
nation. 
The stronger the force we send 
in to the field, the greater the aid 
we extend to those who are fight- 
ing with us the sooner will the 
hideous monster, warfare, be 
driven from the face of the earth. 
The obligation then rests on us 
to increase the food supply. 
A special edition of Wisconsin 
Horticulture was mailed to every 
member April 18th, an appeal to 
members who live in villages and 
cities to plant gardens and to 
those who are skilled garden- 
ers, either professional or ama- 
teur, to give of their time to help 
beginners. Before the edition 
was in the mails one member as- 
sured his friend that it was hys- 
teria and no great need existed, 
no danger threatened our food 
supply. An awful responsibility 
rests on all who now voice this 
sentiment. 
Altho the writer is fully con- 
scious of the great danger that 
threatens us thru such indiffer- 
ence, he refuses to believe that 
any large number of our members 
will take this position. It is not 
hysteria, but only plain reasoning 
and common sense. 
The president of our Society, 
true as always to the tru'd im- 
posed on him, loyal as aBvays to 
his community, his state and his 
country, has practically aband- 
oned his own work and is spend- 
ing his time helping others, in 
schools and public places, Osh- 
kosh, Neenah, Milwaukee and 
wherever called. 
Not all of us can afford to do as 
much, but we can all “do our 
bit.” No one of us but can do 
something. Now is the critical 
time, the seeding time, a month 
from now will be too late. 
Let each one of us then do the 
thing he is best fitted to do so 
that when peace comes, whether 
it be tomorrow or years hence, 
when the roll of honor is made up 
of all who labored unselfishly to 
the end that “liberty should not 
perish from the face of the earth,” 
the name of every member of the 
Society shall be written there. 
Plant Flowers. 
Devote at least one row across 
the garden to flowers. Those who 
have grown asters alongside car- 
rots and taught mignonette to 
live in peace with cabbage will 
need no urging. 
Those who have heretofore 
starved their flowers in stingy 
flower beds or borders will be 
converted forever after to the 
garden plan. 
‘ ‘ Let me suggest also that every 
one who creates or cultivates a 
garden helps, and helps greatly, 
to solve the problem of the feed- 
ing of the nations.” — President 
Wilson. 
