14 Mississippi Volley Horticultural Society. 



<laiici' of rofrr^liiiiK fruits and enriching flowers. And let us not rest until 

 Ave have dieckcd the destruction of the great forests which God has planted, 

 and have restored to the hills and to the plains some portion of that natural 

 shelter without which no land can long be fruitful and no civilization be 

 permanent. 



At the close of his address, the President introduced Major S. H. 

 Nowlin, of Little Rock, Ark., as follows: 



We have with us this evening Major Nowlin, of Arkansas, the gentleman 

 who flrst proposed the organization of this Society, and to whom we feel 

 much indebted for many eflbrts in its behalf. He has been invited to pre- 

 pare a ])aper upon the origin and importance of this Society, which he will 

 now present. 



ORIGIN AND IMPORTANCE OF THJ] MISSISSIPPI VALLEY HOR- 

 TICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BY S. H. NOAVLIN. 



It has devolved upon me, on the opening of this Convention of Fruit Grow- 

 ers, and the fourth annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural 

 Society, to give to you some account of the origin of this Society and to im- 

 j)ress upon this assembly the importance of this body to the country we are 

 here to represent, as well as our possible influence in the amelioration and 

 civilization of mankind. In doing this, I must beg the indulgence of my au- 

 ditory for any ajjpearance of egotism, for the reason that my own personal 

 connection with the origination and organization of this Society renders it 

 unavoidable. As there are many of you, no doubt, who are not familiar 

 with the history of the Society of which we are members, I will endeavor, in 

 as few w'ords as possible, to recount the circumstances which led to its forma- 

 tion, and the short history connected with it up to the present time. 



In the fall of 1879, if my memorj^ correctly serves me, the American Pomo- 

 logical Society held its biennial meeting at Rochester, N. Y. It was my for- 

 tune and honor to be sent as a delegate to that meeting by the Arkansas State 

 Horticultural Society. To my surprise (I being a new citizen of my State), 

 I learned that I was the first representative of Arkansas ever in that body. 

 It was also the first time I had ever been sent as a delegate to any association 

 of a national character, and I have no doubt I was personally as much of a 

 novelty to the gray-haired kings of horticulture there assembled as the State 

 I had come to represent; but be that as it may, I had gone there to learn of 

 those wise men of the East, and announced my arrival. (Just here I may be 

 pardoned for reading a little extract upon this incident taken from Green's 

 Fruit Grower, of .January, 1883) : 



"Apples grown in Arkansas are selling in Rochester, N. Y., at three to five 

 cents each— splended specimens. Tally one for Arkansas! This reminds us 



