156 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



are the aims of our Societies, and will commend themselves to all. 

 Now, how much have these aims heen directed by our work? 



Negatively, 1 think, the great planting and eating public have 

 been helped to avoid imposition. No horticultural society can ex- 

 ist for long, whose members do not, for themselves, perform much 

 pioneer and experimental work. In the rush of competition to se- 

 cure business, and amid the crowd of new candidates for favor, and 

 the amazing statements of advertisers, there is a need for some one 

 to put time and money into experiments to prove all things, in order 

 that we may hold fast that which is good. 



Life is too short for any one man to do this for himself, but in 

 our Society, from its earliest beginnings, some of us have been con- 

 tinually doing something of this sort, and reporting results for the 

 good of others, not only of our own members, but, by publication, 

 free to all. The same course is pursued relative to purchases, and 

 we soon know where " stock " can be bought at the lowest rate, for 

 the best stock. 



In disposing of products we, in our Society, have not, as yet, 

 ''joined hands," and do not see our way clear to do so. We are told 

 that some societies have made such efforts. 



Our Alton Horticultural Society has now lived for more than 

 thirty-five years. At first, our members were only amateurs — the 

 whole county did not contain a " professional." But as I now look 

 back, and call them up in memory, I think they were, in many ways, 

 a superior lot of men. They aided each other by free conference as 

 to varieties, methods of culture, soil and exposure. There were no 

 trade secrets jealously kept for selfish ends, but each was willing to 

 give of his experience for the common use. 



Our Society has not been the means of making any one rich. 

 Our members have been able to live comfortably, and rear families 

 of intelligent boys and girls, and generally believe that ''man does 

 not live by bread alone." t am free to say that the same amount 

 of labor and intelligence employed in many other ways would have 

 produced more money. 



For outside influence, I think I can show, in the community 

 around us, greater love for horticultural products, with more dis- 

 criminating taste and fuller knowledge of methods of culture than 

 can be shown in any county where such societies do not exist. Many 

 men of slender intelligence have learned to practice what we have 

 taught, and even to excel their teachers. The social features of our 

 Society have been very valuable, and this, of course, depends upon 

 the management. Those who feel the need of such intercourse can 

 readily supply it. Some excellent societies have paid no attention to 

 this, and have done good work. In these cases the work more re- 

 sembles a school or a business exchange. Both purposes are laud- 

 able, and the members of each must judge for themselves. Most of 

 our members are more or less engaged in other branches of farm 



