160 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



I know it is luucli easier to point out the failures and shortcom- 

 ings of societies than to suggest a better way. But I am convinced 

 that one cause of faihire and death of many, and the low vitality in 

 others, is because they are run mostly by men, and a large majority 

 of the members are past the meridian of life, as though the quiet 

 peaceful pursuit of gardening fruit and forest grooving has attrac- 

 tions to soothe and tranquilize the spirit of man after the mad 

 scramble for wealth and power that has absorbed the better part of 

 his life and manhood. With this I find no fault, and am glad the 

 business-tossed wayfarer has a haven to repair to where he can 

 spend the evening of liis days amid the sylvan shades of rural life. 

 But this exclusiveness in the horticultural society business is what I 

 am making war upon. Women are justly entitled to take part, 

 and an equal part, in all the business transactions of our societies. 

 She certainly bears her share of the burdens of the practical part of 

 our calling, especially in the finer and more ornamental departments, 

 and in fruits and vegetables consumed in the family, who so inti- 

 mately acquainted with their good or bad cj[ualities as our mothers, 

 wives and daughters? And what society, with the exception of 

 some of the sewet organizations, has ever, or can ever succeed with- 

 out the help of woman? 



And many of our societies are ignoring a present and future ele- 

 ment of success, power and usefulness, in not giving more encourage- 

 ment to the rising generation to come among us, and help us in our 

 society work as well as in the practical work of horticulture. Is it 

 not fitting that young men and maidens should join us in discussing 

 matters pertaining to gardening and fruit growing, for nobody de- 

 vours the juicy luscious fruits and toothsome garden products with 

 the keen relish as does Young America. I have known this hunger- 

 ing and longing for these things so strong and overpowering in boys 

 that they would travel many miles, even in the dark hours of night, 

 to visit an orchard or melon patch to satisfy this natural craving. 

 Now let us invite them to come to our meetings and encourage them 

 to participate in our proceedings, and we will teach them to grow 

 their own fruit and melons, so the hours of rest may be devoted to 

 sleep instead of foraging. Let us teach them that horticultural 

 knowledge is not inherited, but must be acquired, and although the 

 oldest vocation of man, is ever new; for the Goddess Pomona, in her 

 annual journey around the earth, aw\akens into renewed life and ac- 

 tivity the dormant forces of horticulture by the power of her magic 

 wand. 



Try to make them understand that no one is or ever will become 

 perfect in the science and art of horticulture; that the more we 

 learn of Nature's truths in the prosecution of our beautiful and loved 

 calling, the more we see there is to learn, reaching onward and up- 

 ward; and that we form societies, not because we know so much of 

 horticulture, but because we know so little, and that we wish to 



