FIFTY -FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 9 



book. I should like to suggest as a slogan for you, "Sell Michigan Apples 

 in Michigan," and your organization developed with an end in view. 



Now let me, in closing, welcome you to this hall and to this building. 

 The Grand Rapids Press has for years sought to be a booster of your 

 Society, and I wish to assure you that whenever you want a meeting 

 place that this hall and building are at your disposal. If you will come 

 again next year, we will do everything in our power to cooperate with 

 you and this hall may be used for your convenience and without expense. 



RESPONSE, GEO. A. HAWLEY, PRES. MICHIGAN STATE HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY, HART, MICH. 



Knowing as I did the reputation of Mr. Booth and his love of always 

 telling things just as they were — never deviating from the truth — I am 

 satisfied that he would say some mighty nice things about us. I onlj^ 

 wish that I had time to say all the things I wished to about Grand 

 Rapids and what it means to us in western Michigan. It is sufficient 

 to say that Grand Rapids is "our City." When I am away from the 

 state and anyone asks me where I come from I say, "Hart," but I always 

 add, "Hart is just a little way from Grand Rapids." 



This meeting today is a homecoming as the speaker has said. Fift}-- 

 one years ago we were born in this city in a small back room of a bank 

 building, where a few enthusiastic pioneers realized the horticultural 

 possibilities of Michigan and formed this Society and dedicated it to 

 horticultural interests of this State. They dedicated it to the building 

 of beautiful homes and surrounding them with shrubbery and flowers. 

 We have gone through all phases of growth. We have had all the infan- 

 tile diseases since that time. At times it seemed that we might cease 

 to exist, and yet today we come a sturdy, worth-while society with a 

 long, long life to live and a great deal to do. 



I used to think, when I was thirty or forty years younger and a great 

 deal wiser than I am today, — I presume the same thing has come into 

 all your minds — that the work of the Horticultural Society would cease 

 because we would run out of material to talk about. About the same 

 time in my life I figured that if I could spend four or five years with the 

 Societ}^ I would have everything done and would not have to ask a 

 question about horticulture because I would l)e pretty well decided 

 that everything was settled. I now find that we have many more 

 questions to consider and that there is a great deal more for this Society 

 to do than ever before. When this Society was formed, the apple scab 

 was hardly thought of. We knew nothing of lime or sulphate and if 

 we had mentioned a sprajung machine gun people would not have known 

 what we were talking about. 



Probably no meeting of this Society has passed without warning the 

 grower that the best policy in packing fruit is to pack the same quality 

 in the bottom as in the top, and yet today we have the same trouble 

 that Avas discussed at that time. But we had made progress and bj- 

 the continual operation of societies of this kind and the continual vigilance 

 of the men who are interested in the fruit industry, the time will come 

 when the package of fruit from Michigan can be guaranteed and the 

 purchaser can be assured that the same quality is at the bottom as at the 

 top. You wonder that it takes so long to fix such a simple proposition 

 in the minds of people. It is simply a business proposition. You must 

 please people and treat them right in the end of the deal. 



