No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 811 



League for Civic improvement, of Harrisburg-. As the subject iui 

 plies, he pleaded for the beautiful in both city and rural life, at 

 the same time advocating with equal emphasis the utilitarian and 

 economic point of view. Instead of planting a superabundance of 

 ornamental trees along roadways and gardens, he argued in favor 

 of fruit trees. They serve both purposes, being both a delight 

 to the eye and a joy to the palate. Fruit trees, he said, cost no more 

 to raise than ornamental trees. Why not, then, plant them along 

 the highways, and permit their products to be enjoyed by the 

 passerby, the same as the present shade tree. Even in the yards^ 

 useful plants and vines would serve a material as well as aesthetic 

 purpose. Trees were meant to beautify and to be enjoyed. They 

 tend to better things, beside adding comfort and pecuniary wealth 

 to the beholder and owner. 



Plant trees about your homes and you will not only enjoy them 

 yourselves, but they will be a source of pleasure and utility to those 

 who come after. The beautiful is never forbidden or frowned upon 

 in the Bible. Whatever is useful and beautiful elevates character 

 and makes better, happier citizens. 



The CHAIR: For many years in the history of this organization 

 we had the counsel and assistance of Prof. Thomas Meehan, of 

 Germantowu, Philadelphia. Until recent years he was always 

 present at our meetings, and his delightful talks entertained us 

 as no other man could, on topics pertaining to horticulture and 

 floriculture. We have with us this evening his son, Hon. Vi. E. 

 Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries of Pennsylvania, who will ad- 

 dress us on "Fresh Water Fish and Fish Culture." 



ADDRESS OF MR. MEEHAN. 



He spoke first of the value of the fish as an article of food, the 

 large percentage of phosphorus it contains, making it valuable 

 as a brain nutriment. A fish was defined as a creature possessed of 

 gills, fins, etc., and generally adapted to the water. Many creatures 

 are classified as fish, improperly, as, for instance, the whale, which 

 was originally a land animal. 



Mr. IMcehan traced the history of the finny tribes from their ear- 

 liest beginnings. He told an interesting story about the sturgeon. 

 In the Devonian Age, or age of fishes, the water inhabitants were 

 so numerous that many of the species were supplied with peculiar 

 devices to protect them from their voracious enemies. The stur- 



