WINTER MEETING AT CARTHAGE. 127 



The crop of this year will not exceed one-half that earn. Why this great 

 falling oiy? Those who are not deep learned in this science say the climate or 

 season is entirely responsible for this loss of $10,000,000 to our State in one year, 

 but those at the top of the '.profession know .better, they know the secret of suc- 

 cess in most seasons, and are constantly studying and experimenting to learn how 

 to overcome the most extreme climatic influences, and the bad seasons, and will 

 one day be masters of the situations, and, with the exception of the most extreme 

 seasons, be able to produce each year a regular, even crop of the choicest fruits. 



The annual destruction by insects and fungi of the fruits of the State reaches 

 from 25 to 50 per cent of the entire crop. The ordinary farmer who is not thor- 

 oughly posted in these matters receives from his one-acre apple orchard from 

 nothing to $100 per year, while the enlightened, wide-awake horticulturist receives 

 from his acre from $100 to $500 per year. The same is true of other fruits, and the 

 want of success from lack of knowledge causes a loss to the State of millions of 

 dollars annually. How can this be remedied ? I ofter the following suggestions 

 to the careful consideration of all Missourians : 



Have the State annually place to the credit of the State Horticultural Society 

 the sum of $10,000, the Society to employ a good man and require him to go into 

 each county of the State and organize horticuUural societies, hold institutes and 

 meetings and instruct the people in the art of horticulture and teach them the true 

 science of fruit-growing. The Secretary should issue bulletins to the farmers and 

 members of all horticultural societies in the State, giving them fresh instructions, 

 new remedies and discoveries just at the time they most need it. The present plan 

 of issuing only the annual reports, while of wonderful benefit, is entirely too slow. 

 Instead of 3500 copies, as now published, I would have at least 10,000, all bound in 

 cloth. 



In this itinerant work give the Secretary one or more assistants, one of whom 

 Sihould be an entomologist, who should furnish the Secretary with entomological 

 notes for the bulletins, and an annual report to be published in the annual reports 

 of the Horticultural Society, and also in the annual reports of the State Board of 

 Agriculture. The cash income of the Horticultural Society from membership fees, 

 and the surplus, if any, of the State appropriations, might be used by the Society 

 for premiums at their annual and semi-annual meetings and State fairs. 



Space forbids further detail — now for results. Keep this work up, and at the 

 €nd of ten years the annual fruit crop of this State will be $50,000,000, instead of 

 $10,000,000 to $20,000,000 as at present. The outlay by the State of $10,000 per 

 annum would amount to $100,000 in ten years, and the net income for the tenth 

 year would be at least $30,OQP,000, and for the ten years could be safely put at $100,- 

 000,000. How long would you have to talk to a business man to get him to invest 

 $100,000 and receive in return :j;100,000,000 ? 



This is not all! The benefits of this work would not stop here, but go on 

 blessing the generations to come until the "wreck of nations and crash of worlds." 

 This is not fancy nor an idle dream, but sober facts. 



How shall this appropriation be gotten ? By the horticulturists turning their 

 special attention to the members of the Legislature in a systeniatic way ; by those 

 in each county holding stated meetings and having a standing committee whose 

 duty shall be to escort the representative and senator to each of these meet- 

 ings, and then enlighten and educate these law-makers by showing them what the 

 Society has done in its cramped and crippled condition. Show them its needs and 

 the great and lasting benefits to be received in return for the small allowance of 

 $10,000 per annum. Loan them the last three or half dozen copies of the 



