210 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



knows that the fruit at the bottom of his baskets or boxes will be as 

 good as that at the top, largely because fruit grown upon healthy, well 

 cared for vines and trees is always more perfect and alike than that 

 grown upon neglected trees and vines. 



Of the first-named are the fruit-growers of Jasper county; but 

 there are those just over the border, in Kansas perhaps, who, from 

 their dwarfed and stunted orchards, and m harmony with their dwarfed 

 and weed-grown characters, have caused purchasers to read upon their 

 baskets and boxes the well-known legend, "The best is always on top." 



There are other influences pertaining to this business of perhaps 

 more practical importance and utility than those I have named, as they 

 come closer home to our material welfare. 



It is useless to attempt to present statistics to show the great 

 commercial value of fruits grown and shipped to the markets, the vast 

 amount of business given to railroads, express companies and commis- 

 sion men, the large number of people given employment and money 

 distributed throughout the country in connection with this business. 

 In this regard its influence is far-reaching, extending to all portions of 

 the commercial world. 



I do not know of any line of business or occupation, pertaining to 

 productions from the soil, that has grown so rapidly and yet so quietly 

 during the last 25 years as that of horticulture, nor one that has exerted 

 greater influences for good to all the people. If to make two blades 

 of grass grow where but one grew before is to make a man a bene- 

 factor to his race, as has been written, what a grand benefactor has 

 horticulture been — those engaged therein having caused thousands of 

 trees to grow and hundreds of bushels of fruit to be eaten, where few 

 grew and but little was eaten before. Fruits which were unknown to 

 half the people 25 or 30 years ago, except perhaps as some traveler or 

 writer described them, are now exposed for sale in all the markets, at 

 such prices as to enable nearly ail the people to place them upon their 

 tables in every city and hamlet within reach of rapid transportation. 



Speaking of the growth of this industry, I have thus far only 

 referred to it in a general way; but, being proud of having been a 

 pioneer in the business here, I will perhaps be pardoned if I tell some- 

 thing showing its growth as I have witnessed it in this vicinity. 



Twenty-one years ago I shipped the first berry-box material to this 

 city, ever shippedto Jasper county, 1000 boxes in all, and exposed my 

 berries for sale in them, being careful to mark each one, and to have 

 all returned for use again. 



During the last five years it has taken on an average four car-loads 

 each season of this material to market the fruits of this vicinity. 



