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  Kentucky Agricultural Experinient Station. 39 1
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i HORTICULTURE. 1
·   BY C. W. Mixrnnvvs. i _
The following is a report of the work of the department of ;
y p horticulture for the year 1915.  
The plots of various fruits established upon our horticul- ]
tural grounds within the past three years are developing satis- l
factorily and it is expected that many new varieties, especially Q
of grapes, will come into fruit for the first time this year. The j'
season of 1915 was highly abnormal on account of the unusual  
amount of rainfall thruout the growing months. This condi- -1
tion, while favorable for some crops, especially leafy vegetables l
such as cabbage, was very unfavorable for others such as to-  
matoes, and resulted in the poorest fruitage of grapes, both as to  
quality and quantity, experienced in many years. The Skinner  
irrigation system, which in a normal season would have been Q
used many times, was not used at all and experiments involving A
I this equipment were necessarily deferred for another year.  
The new greenhouse erected in 1914 has continued to give  
excellent service, being used in part for experiments in forcing l l
vegetable crops and in part for class work with students, in ac- ‘ .
cordance with your instructions. I would strongly urge that if  
possible provision be made for the addition of another com- .1
partment to the greenhouse during the summer of 1916. With  
a single house maintained at a certain temperature it is impos- . l
sible to grow successfully a very great range of plants, because  
of the widely different requirements of different species as to il
~ heat, moisture, and other conditions. _  
The experiment orchard at Lincoln Ridge set out on a tract
of six acres one year ago has made an excellent start during  
the_ past year and promises, with continued co-operation from ·,
the management of Lincoln Institute, to give us an interesting op-  Q
g portunity for demonstration and experiment as it comes to ma-  
turity.