Anal. p. 325 FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE KANSAS- STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, FOR THE YEARS 1887-8. CONTAINING THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEMI-ANNUAL AND ANNUAL KANSAS PUBLISHING HOUSE: CLIFFORD C. BAKER, STATE PRINTER. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. SECRETARY'S OFFICE, KANSAS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,) To His Excellency L. U. HUMPHREY, Governor of the State of Kansas: We are pleased to be able to herewith submit to you a copy of the First Biennial Report of the Kansas State Horticultural Society, and to ask for it your careful consideration-bearing in mind that while the foundation of Kansas Horticulture was laid in the year 1855, its progress and development were seriously retarded by political disturbances prevailing in the then Territory of Kansas, and that its subsequent development was very slow until about the year 1873, owing to the questions of adaptation of varieties of fruits to the climate and soils, and proper methods for culture, being unsettled ones, and that the work was necessarily and largely experimental, requiring years of work for a determination, to establish success. This work has been faithfully, intelligently and persistently carried on by toilers in every county, until to-day Kansas is recognized among the foremost of the States as possessing a climate and soil remarkable for their horticultural production. There can be no question as to the importance of the horticultural industry as a factor in the settlement of our State by a class of citizens of unusual intelligence, energy, and high moral character-the principles which give to every State prosperity, wealth, and happiness. The settlement of the western portion of the State by earnest home-seekers will not be maintained except through a success of this industry in some of its various lines, the accomplishment of which must depend on intelligent and costly experimentation. To this region the attention and labors of the Society are being largely directed. Very respectfully, L. HOUK, President. G. C. BRACKETT, Secretary. NORTHERN DISTRICT, CHAS. WILLIAMSON, Washington, Washington County. SOUTHERN E. P. DIEHL, Olathe, Johnson County. *The appointment of these committees has been made with reference to their relation to the fruit districts as far as their investigations are affected by local influences, and are arranged in the order of the Northern, Central and Southern Districts; and each member of the committees is requested to report as chairman for his district.-SEC'Y. |
