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Sixth Annual Report of the
HORTICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED IN
THE STATE TO MEMBERS OF THE WISCONSIN
EXPERIMENT ASSOCIATION.
W. R. HANCHIETT, SPARTA, MONROE COUNTY.
When we speak of Horticultural Opportunities I have no
doubt but the thoughts of a large portion of this audience fly
away to the sunnier climes of California or the gulf states, or
protected Michigan; and when we intimated that there are horti-
cultural opportunities offered right here in Wisconsin that are
worthy of the consideration of the members of this intelligent
Association you feel the waves of skepticism creeping into your
minds and you recall the many times that the wily Tree Tramp
with his book of beautifully colored plates has inveigled you
into parting with your hard earned dollars for a few worthless
novelties at exorbitant prices, but as you have attained the
necessary intelligence to become a member of this organization
we are not without hope that you have learned better business
methods and that you have so far learned to sift the wheat from
the chaff that you will recognize a good thing when you find it
and reject all else.
While the field of horticultural opportunity may not be as
broad in Wisconsin as it is in more favored locations it is
broad enough so that every member of this Association who
owns a farm -home may profit thereby to a greater or less ex-
tent.
To those who do not care to attempt anything in this line
as a commercial venture there always remains the opportunity
to beautify the home surroundings by the judicious planting
of shade and ornamental trees and shrubs, and the supplying
the home table with fresh fruits and vegetables from their own
gardens thus adding to the beauty of their home surroundings
and increasing the joy of the home people.
This is an opportunity that all should embrace, and it fre-
quently occurs that where a thorough going farmer such as the
members of this Association are supposed to be, plants and
cares for fruits and vegetables with the primary object the
supplying of the needs of his own household that he learns
as by accident from the surplus of a fruitful year which he is
able to dispose of to his less provident neighbors that the land
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