236 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



spected in the shed, and every picker strictly held to account for any 

 misdeeds. To insure rigid inspection many boxes of berries were 

 turned out upon a table and replaced, if all right. Finally a finish- 

 ing touch was bestowed on each box by exactly filling, if needed, 

 and by turning calyx down for the upper layer of berries. This 

 man found profitable sales in his home market, while others were 

 obliged to ship at the hazard of similar competition elsewhere. A 

 grower's name ought to be made worth something on a package of 

 fruit. 



There are various other ways by which the business as such 

 ought to be made better by our discussions, but I will not weary you 

 with illustrations, remembering that each of you can more readily 

 than myself propose suggestions and oifer facts of experience. 



The business part of our meetings, after all, is a small part. 

 Horticulture never thrives long unless the main stimulus arises from 

 love of the pursuit — from interest in the opening flowers and grow- 

 ing plants. These do best as pets, daily watched and attended — not 

 from a sense of imposed duty — but from the inner promptings of a 

 recognized fondness for the things themselves. Only those who, by 

 nature or education, can find enjoyment in something besides the 

 accumulation of dollars and cents and the gratification of physical 

 appetites are worthy of membership in our guild. He who loves 

 plants and their life doing, loves to talk about them. In so far he 

 is a good conversationalist, and he will be sure of a good audience 

 in othei's whose tasks are like his own. Hence our meetings will 

 have good speakers and good hearers, and with something to say and 

 to hear, why should not our monthly or annual conclaves be enjoy- 

 able and profitable in the highest sense? Such association ought to 

 make man more of a man and woman more of a woman. 



Human life ought to consist of much more than eating and 

 sleeping and slaving. Horticulture helps to make it something 

 more. It is not hard to pick out happy homes by outside appear- 

 ances as of the lawn and the garden. Children are never tempted 

 into habits, which embitters after years, by loving attention to 

 plants, to fragrant flowers and perfumed fruits. 



If in our meetings we encourage the horticultural arts as recre- 

 ations and pastimes we shall certainly do excellent service, not alone 

 to ourselves but to many others who may, in one way or another, 

 count a beginning in horticultural efforts from something here said 

 or done. It is wonderful what example does. I know a town where 

 the front door yards are almost uniformly neat and attractive in ap- 

 pearance The walks are clean, thin borders accurately marked; the 

 grass is kept nicely cut; the fences are as little offensive as possible; 

 yet ten years ago none of these things were true. All was slipshod 

 and uncomely. Ashes were dumped in the walks or just outside the 

 front gate. The cow was pastured in the door-yard and did the 

 trimming which the trees received. The change was clearly due to 



