118 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"nearly all of lliein are dead." I got to thinking and looking over those 

 present and only two are here that were i)r€sent in the early days of 

 this Society. Charlie Garfield is one of them, and he is a man that 

 I almost deify. 



It is thirty-five years ago, when 1 was working in a field one day, 

 when a man elindjed over the fence and said: *'Yonng fellow, is your 

 name Morrow?" T said "Yes," — wondering what he wanted — 



"Do you own this farm?" 



"Not yet, but I am trying to own it." 



After he talked for a few moments he said, "My name is Eeed. I am 

 from Albion ; I came down he to get yon to join the Michigan State 

 Horticultural Society." 



T didn't know where it was, how much it cost, what they did, or any- 

 thing about it. Well, I had a desire to lejirn, so I told him I would 

 join. I went. I stayed with them for a good many years. Then I 

 was lost for a number of years. I went into another state — into Texas; 

 I "blew" myself, as they say. For fourteen winters I have been away, 

 and when I, came back there was. a new crop of members, and I felt 

 like old Rip Van Winkle, less the whiskers. 



It is not so very much that I care to say to you tonight, my friends, 

 but I do want to tell you that you are living in the best, all-around 

 State I have ever seen, and I hope you will stay here and continue 

 to do this kind of work, and boost the State along for every link you 

 put into a society like this, is a boost for yourself and for your State. 

 Stick to it. This old ship is all right — the safest one I have found. 

 I would like to break over time and go into eternity with you. I hope 

 you can realize my feelings. Whatever success has come to me, I want 

 to say that I have gained by instruction from this Society. My am- 

 bition is just as good as ever. I have been among other people in so- 

 cieties like this, but I never saw one that elicited the feelings that come 

 to me when I visit your association. 



Toastmaster: You all saw those beautiful roses and wonderful 

 chrysanthemums that were on the speaker's stand in our regular meet- 

 ing hall, but perhaps you did not know th.^t these and the beautiful 

 roses here on the table were furnished by one of the lifelong friends of 

 this Society, Mr. Henry Smith. In these days of automobiles, we can 

 reach a much larger territory in the same length of time, then when we 

 walked or proded an ox team, or even drove horses. So it is we are 

 getting better acquainted with country conditions, and are learning 

 some tilings that .we would not like to unlearn. 



I am thinking of our roadsides as we traverse our country road. Some 

 of the most beautiful roadsides have been stricken with the blight, as 

 the result of a law that was connected with the mandates of highway 

 commissioners, who think they are doing a great good, but who are 

 doing a positive injury. We Avant a plea made for the beautifying of 

 the country roadside, and I know of no one who can do justice to this 

 subject more than Mr. JoIhi B. Martin, of this city. 



