Winter Meeting. 273 



varying combinations and amounts, singly, alone, one and two, and 

 one, two and three. Practical applications will help to solve the ques- 

 tion some time. The United States department has put another 

 specialist to the study of this fimgus, H. von Schrenk, of Washing-ton 

 University, St. Louis. He has been with me down in the Ozarks to 

 collect material for this purpose and it is to be hoped that some good 

 results may be obtained. 



I wish again to call your attention to the Pan-American Exposi- 

 tion at Buffalo in 1901 and the necessity for this society to take hold of 

 some plan for further opening a market for our fruits. I believe that 

 there is no one thing which has effected such rapid development of our 

 fruit interests and the bringing of such grand, good markets to our very 

 doors as has just this one thing of fruit shows at these great expositions. 

 Missouri will have to do her part in them all. 



Again, in 1903 at St. Louis will be the great Western Exposition 

 and here again we will have to take our work fully in hand. Missouri 

 must not be behind her sisters in this either. But she will be looked 

 upon as leader in this one at least. 



OUR REPORT. 



Since our last meeting the report for 1898 has been sent out and, 

 like its predecessors, it has made a name for itself. To-day calls come 

 from far and near, home and abroad fruit growers, and prospective 

 ones, the new settler and those wanting to come to Missouri. You are 

 the ones who make these reports so valuable by your knowledge, your 

 experience, your theories, your papers, your discussions. It is because 

 we have such goodly number of men who are j)ractical in their work and 

 know how to tell it to others so that they may profit by it. You have 

 made this report chock full of suggestions, ideas, practical applications, 

 new plans, and experiences and every one who reads it can not help 

 but find something to his advantage and assistance. 



The Shaw School of Botany is taking up the matter of diseases, 

 and is becoming interested in the fruits of our state. We are glad 

 indeed to welcome her to the open field of investigation and sincerely 

 hope that the imlimited means at her connnand will be \ised to help 



H— 18 



