Summer Meeting. 19 



of New Haven and that it was all seasoned with the good will of them. 

 The best that we have, give we unto you. 



Now, then, let us realize as townsmen that these brothers are here 

 with us for a few days at our invitation ; therefore, it is our duty to see 

 that their stay is a pleasant one. Let us throw open our homes, our places 

 of business, our streets and all that we have and leave no stone unturned 

 to make them comfortable. Let us show by our very countenances when 

 we meet them that we are glad to see them. * * * 



I may talk at random, but I am acting my heart's desire. ]\Iay this 

 meeting be a successful one ; may it do us all good. May your talks be 

 loud and to the pont. May they be heard from Maine to California. 

 ]May it cause all to become interested in this great work so that some 

 day we may make the wilderness blossom as the rose, until our good State 

 of Missouri become sweet scented with nature's purest blossoms. May 

 no discord come to mar the harmony of this meeting. May you not. 

 grow discouraged in your work ; look not to left nor to the right ; turn 

 not backward ; but press onward and upward until you reach the goal. 

 May your discussions be to the point and may they be of such warmth 

 and enthusiasm that every moth and injurious insect may be stopped in 

 its work of destruction and bestride the Kansas grasshopper and flee 

 away to unknown regions. ^Nlay the blessings of our Creator be upon 

 you and our people. 



RESPONSE TO \\"ELCO^IE ADDRESS. 

 (By President ^lurray.) 



Ladies and Gentlemen : 



On behalf of the Horticultural Society of Missouri, we desire to 

 return to you our thanks for the warm words of welcome you have off- 

 ered through the eloquent gentleman who has just preceded me. W'q 

 certainly have every reason to believe that we are welcome in your beau- 

 tiful city. Of course we expected this. We always expect to be wel- 

 come wherever we go, but have been welcomed even more than we 

 expected. 



This is the first time we have every met in your little city. \Yq 

 adopted the missionary plan of going from place to place and thus we 

 go all over the State. We have been struggling for years — for more than 

 40 years — to overcome the fruit-growers' enemy. In some cases we 

 know we have failed ; yet we can point with pride to several gold medals 

 taken on Missouri fruit at the expositions. The facts of the case are that 

 Missouri has never taken second place. I think Kansas and Nebraska 



