Addresses — Plea for State Aid. 229 



For the purpose of convincing argument, I am willing to leave 

 these comparative figures with each of you. 



This, then, is our work for the future. To do this work we have 

 only a little band of earnest workers. We have to-day in our 

 treasury, nothing. We have as auxiliaries some ten local societies, 

 from many of whom our only communication has been a report of 

 their annual election and a list of their officers. 



The state kindly places in our hands annually 1,000 volumes 

 (restricted to 200 pages) of our transactions. These volumes we 

 prize as treasures, and no other means have done so much to help 

 on our good work. Their size and number could be doubled, and 

 every page and every volume be profitably used. Whatever other 

 strength or influence we may have must be wholly due to the mani- 

 fest unselfishness of our work, and to the candor and truthfulness 

 of our teaching. 



And now to the legislators present I wish to bring this question: 

 Are the means in our hands equal to the vjork to be done? If 

 you decide that they are, we must still work on, making the most 

 of what we have. If you believe in the importance of our work, 

 and if the discharge of our former duties gives you faith in our 

 future, we ask your favorable consideration of a bill to come before 

 you in our behalf. We do not ask it in the light of a favor to our- 

 selves, but as a means for the promotion of one of the most noble 

 -and valuable industrial interests of our state. 



I will briefly indicate some of the larger and broader work which 

 an appropriation would enable us to do. 



It would help us to organize more local societies, and to maintain 

 more intimate relations with those already organized, thereby 

 stimulating them to greater exertions and the accomplishment of 

 greater good. 



Interest in our summer and winter meetings could be largely 

 increased by a small premium list for each; thus, in summer, reach- 

 ing and developing a variety of horticultural products which are 

 out of season and lost to our fall exhibition. Special premiums for 

 orchard planting, timber planting and ornamental planting would 

 largely stimulate these interests. 



Means are needed for special work in developing, providing and 

 disseminating new and valuable fruits. Notable among these are 

 two hundred or more Russian fruits now being tested. 



