Jasper County Democrat, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1902 — FRUIT OF INDIANA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FRUIT OF INDIANA

INTERESTING DISCUSSION OP HORTICULTURE OP BTATS. Fruit Growing Seen by Warder W. Stevena, President of Btate Horticultural Boclety. By Warder W. Stevens, President of State Horticultural Society. There la no truer saying than that "we know less abou* the things near us than those far away.” The poesibllltles of horticulture in Indiana are simply wonderful when ws begin seriously to study the question of fruit growing. There Is ro fruit except the citrus or tropical varieties that caryiot be grown within her borders with some degree of satisfaction and profit. 'TIs true there are portions of Delaware and Georgia that are now producing more buehcls of peaches than we are; the ozark regions of Missouri and csntral Illinois more apples, but not because they can do It either better or more cheaply, but because these lands have been "boomed" by capitalists, railroads and land agents for all they are worth. Even granting that special crop* can be grown In certain localities to the very highest state of perfection only goes to prove that those are special purpose states, while Indiana is an all-purpose horticultural state.

Necessary to Bucc*ss. There are a few absolutely necessary conditions to make commercial orcharding a success: theso are cheap lands, nearness to largs rivers or lakes, air drainage, suitable soils and market facilities. The more of these essential conditions that can be combined the more profitable will be the venture along horticultural lines. AH up and down the Ohio river there are to be found cheap lands with soils especially adapted to ths growing of tree fruits and small fruits as well In the central part of the state, with Brown county as a center, we find cheap hill lands where most all kinds of fruit can be grown abundantly and profitably. The lake regions of the North are bound to develop some profitable fruit industry when directed aright. Theae lands will only remain cheap until enterprising horticulturists discover their possibilities. Observant horticulturists havs always known that hill or knob land was best suited to orcharding—that fruit "hit” oftener and was of better quality than In the valley or flat lands. They discovered that cold, damp air flows down hill as readily as water, and where the hills are cut Into by frequent ravines, gulches or valleys the cold air Is quickly drawn off the hill tops, the surface Is quickly drained end the loss from late frosts or winter heaving is reduced to the mini-

mum and annual crops may be expected with a fair degree of certainty If the orchard receives proper attention. Most of our low, flat lands are highpriced because they produce th* cereal crops most profitably, but alluvial soils do not contain the mineral elements of plant food in right proportion to give us satisfactory fruit crops. But when w# go to the clay lands of the hilltops and slopes w* find full compensation for what once was thought to be the niggardliness of nature. Here we have th* conditions necessary to grow the finest fruits the country produces. Southern Indiana produced the apples that carried off the honors at the recent world's fair at Paris. It was Indiana fruit that captured the best premiums at the Buffalo exposition the past season. We were told recently by the largest handler of fruit in the state that Illinois and Missouri might boast of their fine red apples. but Indiana grows redder and better ones. California might grow larger fruit but lt was Inferior In quality and looks when compared with the best produced In the Hoosler state.

Lack of Fruit.

While we can produce the very best of fruit to be found' In the country we don't grow lt In sufficient quantity to even meet home demands, for during the past ten years over $10,000,000 have gone to other states for fruits of various kinds. What we need is a boom along hortlcul-

tural lines- When we stop this leak of over f 1,000,000 annually that w« pay for fruits that are not as good aa we can grow, and add to it 31,000,000 or *2.000,000 of export fruit, then, and not till then, will Indiana take her Just rank, which is as the grandest horticultural atata in the union. But Individual effort will be long in bringing about this desirable result Tbs

development of horticulture In Indiana has been a long continued struggle with little or no state aid. Most of our oldest and best workers have given their long life, time, money and energy to the cause and are now poor. We have their experience. and to a great extent It is no longer experimental. We now need state aid as a necessity to place this experience with every one who owns land that Is adapted to fruit growing. Many newer states devote yearly fair amounts for the furtherance of horticulture. Michigan, with nearly half her domain yet covered with the original forest, appropriates *4.000 yearly to horticulture, and even the bllizard-beswept states of the northwest, where only small fruits can be successfully grown, make liberal appropriations annually to the cause. Our last legislature appropriated *I,OOO for the use of the State horticultural society. It ought to be made *4,000 or *6,000 by the next general assembly. Through the enterprise of the State horticultural society Indiana now has the only experimental farm In the world devoted -to the Improvement of the apple, the leader of all fruits. Hera the work of originating new varieties is being carried on in rather a small Way, of course, for lack of funds, but this f*rm is being watched carefully by leading horticulturists all over the world. anU great things are expected from it. Another thing we need is more local horticultural societies, extending out Into sucsi parts of the state where fruit f&rmijfel could be made profitable. By these iNfinlxation* there would be an awakenfnrf to the possibilities of Indiana as a horticultural state, our fruit products would be greatly multiplied and millions [of dollars annually added to her income. IMeanwhile. it Is our duty, as well as it tshould be our highest aims as horticulturists, to go ahead in all lines of progIress, letting our light shine into "the

dark places” as much as possible, be ever on the alert In our profession and hope for that reward that comes from good Intentions and good works, superinduced by good and unselfish motives.

WARDER W. BTEVENS.