Address of Welcome. 25 



MEETING AT GREEN BAY. 



The joint convention of the two societies was opened in 

 Klaus' Hall, at 10 A. M. of June 23d, by J. M. Smith as presi- 

 dent of the Brown County Society. The attendance on the part of 

 the members of the State Society was much larger than at the 

 meeting held the previous year, but the pressure of farm work, 

 attendant upon the backward season, interfered somewhat with 

 the local attendance ; still there was a fair audience present. 



Arrangements had been made to have the Address of Welcome 

 and the response given by Judge T. O. Howe and R. D. Torrey 

 respectively, but both persons being absent, these duties were 

 assigned at the last moment to Hon. W. J. Abrams and Mr. 

 J. S. Stickney. 



In presenting the words of welcome on behalf of the citizens of 

 Green Bay and the Brown County Society, Mr. Abrams spoke 

 substantially as follows : 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



lir. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Stale Horticultural 

 Society : 

 In a state like ours, where agriculture is the principal source of 

 wealth, and the advancement and prosperity of the citizens and 

 the whole state depend on the successful cultivation of the soil, 

 we should see to it that we do not fall behind sister states around 

 us engaged in similar occupations, and that we do not rest content 

 with what we have already accomplished, and sit down in inactiv- 

 ity. In order to prevent this, agricultural societies have been 

 organized and are engaged in the dissemination of knowledge and 

 inciting to a friendly rivalry. But something more is wanted ; 

 something is needed to make home more attractive and to relieve 

 the burden and care resulting from the hard, delving toil of the 

 farm. To meet this want, horticultural societies were formed, in 

 order to promote the cultivation and development of the beauti- 

 ful along with the more substantial labor of the farm, or, in other 

 words, to unite the poetry with the prose of husbandry. I say 

 poetry and prose of husbandry, for horticulture stands in the same 



