FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 123 



preference, and he said, "Be jabbers, and if I could not be an Irishman 

 I would rather be shot." 



The Irishman is always at home Avhen he is abroad. Many of our 

 valuable fruits inherit the characteristics of the Irish, — at home when 

 abroad. The early fruits, like raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, 

 iiiukleberries, etc., that the pioneers had — these are about all of the 

 commercial sorts that were here orioinally — all the rest are aliens — the 

 a|tple, the ])ear, and some other like fruits go back to the very beginning 

 of civilization. Asi)aragus conies from a Greek word meaning "sprouts." 

 As the origin of the apple, so far as the historian's account goes, it 

 agrees with the Bible account, and that goes back to Palestine, where 

 the produce of the Bible was located. It is a very interesting fact to 

 remember that the birth place of the apple is also the birthplace of the 

 Caucasian race, and that the white race, in its tour around the world, 

 in Greece, Rome, northern Europe, Greenland to the United States has 

 carried the apple tree with it. The apple tree in its march through 

 civilization tj'pifies the advance of the white race. Once in America 

 the apple crossed the Appalachian mountains and spread rapidly to 

 the Mississi])pi River. It was carried by the Mormons farther west, 

 and finally it found its way into Oregon and California. And now we 

 find our American apple going to the most remote corners of the earth 

 — to Asia, to its native home. 



The history of the cherry is no less interesting. I am sorry that 

 time does not permit me to go into details as to the development of 

 this fruit. I suppose you know that the black cherry, the rum cherry 

 or choke cherry is originally a native of this country. The cherry, 

 both sweet and sour, are supposed to originate in that territory between 

 the Caspian Sea and Constantinople. The peach is supposed to have 

 come originally from I'ersia; plums from Arabia. From Japan came 

 the nectarines — deriving its name from the supposition that it fur- 

 nished the nectar for the gods. And so we have had these foreigners, 

 these aliens that have come to us, and I am glad that we have given 

 them a better reception than the reception in the story of the three 

 men who had staid very late at a, club, and fearing an unfavorable re- 

 ception when they reached home, made a wager that the one who re- 

 fused to do as he was bid by his wife would have to treat the others 

 to supper. The first man went home and stepped on the cat's tail, 

 whereupon she said to him, "John, why don't you kill the cat?" He 

 thought a minute, and then decided it was better to sacrifice the cat 

 than have to furnish the supper, so he killed the feline. 



The second man thought he would be judicious and when he went 

 into the house, in turning on the switch button, stumbled against the 

 piano, making a great racket. "Why don't you smash the piano and 

 done with it," said his wife. That was quite a proposition but rather 

 than be the one who would furnish the supper, he proceeded to carry 

 out his wife's suggestion. 



The third man (quietly entered his home, went up stairs on tiptoe, 

 but just as he got to the head of the stairs, he stumbled over something 

 that awakened his wife who said to him, "John, why don't you fall 



