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Show PROGRESS IN UTAH HORTICULTURE. ' ),n written to Bet forth 'JjM adaptation of Utah soil w to the production of. choice former New Year's editions ot ne have contained elaborato ., of the conditions existing to 'xiti the Ideal fruit country. All ,..er extras ngant, hae been f substantiated by the pro- molt orchards from the days winters right up to tho match-Villon match-Villon of nil classes of fruit at ? fair of 03. Thero has been ''roof that tho best may ba ni yet there has been general that so Httl" Brood fruit was j In explanation It Is neces- rDeat what has been said In 'Jim on Utah horticulture. I. e.. -J , the pioneers planted numer-tles. numer-tles. and thus demonstrated ffrults would grow to perfection . the plantations were Invarla-.rea Invarla-.rea to a sufllclent number of Supply 'ho family needs of tho 1 ho thought was entertained ikrly day of the vast markets ,. alnce des eloped, and no profit pro-fit made to prrow fruits to sup. markets. For more than for-1 for-1 after tho settlement of Utah irtlng of fruit trees was done one object of supplying tho family and a xery limited homo ijlBUCIAt. ORCHARDING. I) was that Utah gained her ion for superior fruits, yet Belaid Bel-aid supply the local market. It ct theso limited plantations In 1 day that trnvclers got tho Ion of Utah fruits, and yet for Mrs following me settlement or Vttt was no semblance of com-1 com-1 orcharding. As an Industry, eon-Ins was not considered prior !jut decade In tho old century. Hie non-producing population at Into tho State, and w 1th the ( ipeclillintlon In farming lines Upon tho people, attention was I to commercial fruit-growing pen ears ago. ilS90 thcro has been numerous rchards planted, with a lew to s fruit for shipment. No one ,tf valley can be said to con-the con-the fruit belt In Utah. Cache it the extreme north Is thought pre-eminently suited to the pro-i pro-i of winter apples, while Sanpete 200 miles further south, has I'mllar climatic conditions, and row the ery finest apples, llox toanty, fifty miles north of Bolt tat long held the palm for choice l jet nil down through Weber, Salt Lake and Utah counties ue localities that now dispute jot Elder In the matter of etiam-p etiam-p for peach production. area desotcd to orchards. It Is e that llox Elder will take first then the planting of 1903 shall n completed. The large tracts 1 and to bo planted In the upper flrer alley will easily placo Box ounty nt the head In commercial ling. Weber county now pro-Jie pro-Jie greatest amount of shipping but the area to bo jet desoted to is Is limited as compared with Seller and nox Elder counties. if tho orchards In Weber county re most favorably with the best fornla In size and cultivation. r acres of bearing fruits, all tho Tfectly pruned and sprayed and und glcn absolutely clean cultl- la a fair Idea of a commercial I In Weber county. Then there mcrous lesser plantations, In tie mean Idea of shipping fruits t so that every fall carload lots it from Ogden to outside mar- i county ranks second In fruit its, nnd the recent plantations mo been In lots of ten to forty the surletlea being selected with ;ce to the Eastern markets. In county there has been a revival of Interest In winter apples to such an extent that hundreds of ncres have been set to trees of the red artetles during the past five jears. SPECIALIZATION. The plantations abose referred to mark a now era In Utah orcharding. In no case now recalled has the commercial com-mercial orchard been set by a general farmer tho man who ndheres to the old Idea of growing a little of every-thing. every-thing. On the contrary, the men who recognize the opportunities In orcharding orchard-ing In Utah are Imbued with the Idea of specializing In that one line. In not a few Instances the men who arc most successful In fruit-growing aro bright, Intelligent Dullness men, who never farmed a day In their lives, but who have taken up the study of fruit-growing and aro making that the sole object. ob-ject. The same business ability that dictates the operations of planting, pruning, spraying, cultivating and fertilizing fer-tilizing is enlisted In the Important work of picking, packing nnd marketing, market-ing, all of which In commercial orcharding orchard-ing Is as different from the old methods as Is tho self-binder from the hand-cradle hand-cradle In harvesting grain. It la not claimed that all tho progressive orcharding or-charding nre new to the calling, for some of tho old farmers of the State have made n complete change, and are no longer farmers, but fruit-growers Instead. In-stead. It Is the specialization that la placing Utah high up In the rank as a fruit-producing State, and those critics who point to tho lock of home fruits In local markets at present need wait but a year or two longer to see Utah products pro-ducts entirely supplant the npples that are whipped In from other States at present. IMPROVED METHODS. This new phase of horticulture Is marked by new nnd Improved methods of cultivation, pruning and spraying. Trees are properly shaped and unnually pruned so as to give them the greatest possible amount of fruit wood with light and air admitted to every portion of the tree. Spraying Is done automatically auto-matically and Intelligently, with a, knowledge of the Insects to be corn-batted corn-batted and of the best means to employ em-ploy for their extermination. In no caso has a failure been recorded where spraying has been dono with a definite purpose, backed by a knowledge of the means to attain that purpose. Cultivation Is recognized as an essential essen-tial operation to conBerse moisture, tu aerate the Boll and to destroy weeds which rob the trees of needed plant food and moisture. Hundreds of orchards orch-ards In Utah are now kept on the clean culture plan, nnd the success attending at-tending this method Is making other hundreds of convert to the Idea. FINANCIAL, INDUCEMENTS. It Is needless to say that there Is monetary gain in view by those who adopt the new idea In horticulture. Men do not plough and plant und cultivate culti-vate for the mere love of doing. Were It possible to follow the old methods and still reap fair returns the probability proba-bility Is there would be little of progress pro-gress In fruit culture. Dut old ways are out of date, and the horticulturist of the present adopts new methods be-causo be-causo the world demands the best In every line of human effort. And the effort Is rewarded by financial returns. It Is not Intended to parade figures here, yet It may bo truthfully said that "latter day" orcharding In Utah returns re-turns a revenue upon n valuation of 5800 to (1000 per acre each year. If this sounds extravagant, Just let the doubter sit down with anjone of a hundred orchardlsts who might be named and figure up the results of the past five years. It will be found that, after deducting de-ducting reasonable compensation for the grower's work, thero Is left ISO to 9100 for each aero devoted to standard commercial fruits. This means 10 per cent upon the higher vnluatlon, nnd easily 7 per cent net after counting out depreciation of the plant. It Is not surprising thut these figures appeal tu business men, and ttmi the commercial fruit-growers ot Utah today ure among the brignteat and most progressive people peo-ple in tne State. liOAUD OF HORTICULTURE. Since the organization of tho Utate Uoara or Horticulture six icars ugo the best Information obtainable bus uten securtu and promulgated among Iho fruit growers of the State. The members ot the board havo nit been practical trult growers, and have given intense thought to the betterment of the trult Inteiests ot the State. Uulle-Una Uulle-Una have been Iscued giving In plain language the best methods In orchard work and plain formulas and directions for combatting the Insects. In evety line of Instruction the Utah State Hoard of Horticulture has been nbreuat of the times, and in some points has led the WSJ. In the last statement refereuce Is had to the action of the Utah board In (he matter of certificates to nur-serlts. nur-serlts. The old form of pirtlflcat, which aid that "stock was apparently freo from injurious Insects and dls-eaces,'r dls-eaces,'r was abandoned, and no certificate. certifi-cate. In now given, excepting where nursery stock was properly fumigated for destroying Insects and fungi. In this better protection to the planters the Utah State Board of Horticulture led, and other States are how following'. follow-ing'. In all that counts for better care pf existing orchards and for better methods meth-ods in futuro operations the Utah State Board ot Horticulture has promulgated conservative and safe advice ad-vice and has given Utah farmers the benefit of latest apd best conclusions by the foremost horticulturists of the SAN JOSE SCALH. Because of the pernicious nature of the Han Jose scale and the fact thnt It existed In limited sections of the State, tho la&t Legislature very wisely appropriated appro-priated 12000 to be used by the State Board of Horticulture In exterminating the scale. The funds have been practically practi-cally all expended, and while the scale Is not entirely driven out, the results are deemed sufficient to more than Justify the expenditure that has been made. Sufficient has been accomplished to demonstrate to fruit growers that the San Jose scale can be controlled, nnd that with proper vigilance this pest may be kept out of an orchard far more easily than can the rodlln moth. Another duty added to the State Board of Horticulture four sears ago was the carrying on of a horticultural experiment farm In southern Utah. The farm was located near St. George, In Washington county, and during the four vears most excellent nroTress has been made In bringing the lnnd Into a high state of cultivation and getting a great variety of fruits ready for testing. test-ing. In the matter ot farm buildings, fences, road-maklrg, Irrigating, cultivation, cultiva-tion, planting, pruning and spra)lng, most valuable lesions have been Imparted Im-parted to the farmers ot southern Utah. Each season hereafter the real value of the work on the experiment farm will be more manifest as determination Is reached regarding the adaptation of tho various fruits to the peculiar conditions con-ditions In that region. The success already al-ready attained by the experiment farm at St. George argues strongly for other similar Institutions In different parts of Utah, CONCLUSION. Altogether the results In horticulture In Utah during ICC! are such ns to warrant war-rant the most optimistic views for the future ot that Industry In Utah, and to Invite most careful Investigation by capitalists who deslro n sate and sure Investment where thero Is a disposition to follow up the Investment with up-to-date buslnecs methods. J. A. WRIGHT, Secretary Utah Plnte Board of Horticulture. |