e it is not the intention to publish anything in this
magazine that is misleading or unreliable, yet it must be
remembered that the articles published herein recite the
experience and opinions of their writers, and this fact must
always be noted in estimating their practical value.

THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST

Vol. 44 AUGUST, 1916 No. 8

How May University Farm and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society be
Mutually Helpful in Developing the Farms and Homes of the Northwest?

A. F. WOODS, DEAN AND DIRECTOR, DEPT. OF AGRI., UNIVERSITY OF MINN., ST.
PAUL.

The farm without its windbreaks, shade trees, fruits, flowers and
garden, if it can be called a home at all is certainly one that needs
developing and improving. There are many abiding places in the
Northwest, as in every other part of the United States, that lack some
essential part of them. The first and most important step with a view to
correcting these conditions is to bring together those interested in
home improvement to talk over problems and difficulties and to plan how
to correct them and to interest others in the movement. This is what
this great society with its auxiliary societies has been and is now
doing most successfully. It is true that your work has been more
particularly from the horticultural view point, but, as I said in the
beginning, fruits and flowers are civilizing and home making influences.

There should be more horticulturally interested people from the farms
affiliated with this society. Each farmers' club should have a
horticultural committee. There are now about nine hundred farmers' clubs
in the state, and the number is increasing constantly. These clubs
represent the communities in which the members live. They include men,
women and children, farmers, preachers, teachers, every member of the
community willing to cooperate. They start things in the community
interest and follow them up. The Agricultural Extension Service of the
University is in close touch with these clubs. The horticulturists of
the service especially might help to arouse the interest of the clubs in
this movement. This society might offer some prizes especially designed
to interest the boys and girls of the farmers' clubs. Each club
horticultural committee should have representation in this society. Some
of the prizes might be memberships or trips to the annual meeting. Many
members of this society are members of such clubs. T