ANNUAL MEETING. 183 



of Legislature are formidable imd j)!irtly unsuccessful. If the habitual use of 

 fruit as a food and a natural and mild stimulant was adopted by our i)cople as 

 a means to an end, how easily would this interesting (luestion be dealt with? 

 Our beautiful, rich, and luscious fruits contain so many excellent qualities, 

 mildly stimulating and enlivening, tbatdid we but know them by habitual use, 

 wo are confident to assort that tlic use of alcohol would be felt to be not only 

 uunecessary, but as it really is, a poison and an absolute injury to our vital 

 interests. Fellow fruit-growers, have you ever thought over this question 

 deeply and seriously? If so, what do you think of it? If this is practical, 

 and we think it is, are we not on the high road to the most wonderful aohicve- 

 nients for our generation that it is possible to work out? It is worth working 

 for, for it points to higli possibilities in the not very distant future. Already 

 these effects are distinctly marked upon the business itself. In my large 

 acquaintance with the fruit-growers of our time, I am most happy to be able to 

 record that I know of but few who are either habitual gluttons or habitual 

 drunkards among the ranks. This is a good mark, and let it score one for us. 

 We will labor to preserve it intact as a distinction of our noble industry. On 

 the contrary contentment, prosperity, and happiness in our calling, and in our 

 families seems to be everywhere the rule amongst us. Thanks for this assur- 

 ance, it should make us deeply grateful. We have one more proposition, and 

 then we are done, namely : " Fruit is a necessity for 



"OUR MODERN CIVILIZATION." 



This by itself is a fine theme, and sufficient to occupy our best attention. 

 It is fully established by our previous questions, and by our daily observations 

 everywhere. Our modern civilization ! How grand and how noble are its 

 amazing achievements! But what could it do without fruit? Its very foun- 

 dations would be undermined, and its fair temple would totter and fall a 

 mere wreck. Everywhere, and among all classes, there is a deeply felt need 

 of the rectifying and refining influences of good fruit; fruit that is worthy of 

 our times, and worthy of ourselves. There is no exception, all need it, both 

 male and female, both old and young, both bond and free, both black and 

 white, the sedate and the gay, the learned and the illiterate, the wise and the 

 otherwise, the master and his scholar; and from whatever country or nation 

 or tongue they may have sprung, all need it; and for their best interests, all 

 must have it. In the very nature of the case its use will constantly increase 

 as our civilization goes steadily on. Fruit first acts with powerful force upon 

 our civilization, and in turn our civilization acts, or rather re-acts, upon 

 fruit. The fruit gives tone and force to the civilization in her onward march 

 of progress over the masses, and the civilization in turn helps and encourages 

 the fruit. You see it is a well balanced mutual progression, in which the 

 parties go hand in hand, the one cannot advance without taking the other 

 kindly along. Have you faith and confidence in the results of our civiliza- 

 tion? Have you equal faith and confidence in Pomona, and encourage her to the 

 utmost of your ability, for she is the hand-maid of civilization. Bring to bear 

 upon her interests the deep and interesting researches of science into the 

 hidden mysteries of nature, and in her latest and most matured investigations. 

 You need her assistance, and to science you are indebted. Do you not grow 

 more and better fruit now than you did years ago? I am afraid there is some- 

 thing wrong if you do not; more and better is needed. Science is advancing; 

 civilization is advancing; knowledge is advancing; the arts of life are advanc- 

 ing; and the noble art of growing ample fruit for the uses of all must be 



