Annual Report of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society Volume 26

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 edition. Excerpt: ... drouth, a regiment of insect pests, and many other troubles, which are beyond our control, discourage him and cause him to be disheartened, he was not cut out for a horticulturist. Instead, these things should bring him to use his brains all the more, in discovering ways and means to overcome them. In the present time, with our valuable papers on horticulture and our horticult aral meetings, giving practical information and profit by the experience of others, ignorance has no excuse. There is a love in horticulture, however, which no one lacks, and that is the love for the ripened fruit when placed upon our tables, but it is a "consuming" love. The third feature I beg to mention is the carelessness and neglect of the grower. For instance, a man sets out an apple orchard on low, black soil without any drainage or wind breaks, no protection from mice, rabbits or sun scald, and hurries the setting, any way to get them set, and (.hen expects Providence to care for that orchard until the trees get to fruiting, or at least it Looks that way. Ere long, you hear the owner say, "It is no use to set out an orchard--I am completely discouraged. I set so many trees and scarcely any of them grew. I do not see why it was.' Of course the tree-agent, or nurseryman was to blame in his estimation, but, would that same man let his horse or cow have such care as he gave that orchard? The true cause of failure, you readily see, was carelessness and neglect. How true the old saying: "Heaven helps them that help themselves." Another reason has been, that we amateurs have not been particular about planting varieties adapted to our climate. Instead of buying nursery stock at home, we send our orders away, where climate and soil are very different, and it takes time to...