438 State Horticultural Society. 



and buildings with them and to ornament their whole environment. 

 Such efforts bring- forth the best results. And I want to saj further, 

 that I believe that examples of that kind will result in better agricultural 

 methods in the state, and it seems to me no more laudable thought could 

 be brought into the meeting this evening than the discussion of the ques- 

 tion of how to plant your grounds to make them more beautiful. I will 

 not intrude upon your patience any longer. I thank you for this oppor- 

 tunity of being here to meet with you. (Applause.) 



Toastmaster Trelease: One of the lirightest books on rural life that 

 it has ever been my pri\'ilege to read, and one that gives all the surround- 

 ings of country life, without having any blanks, was published a little 

 over a year ago by one of our Missouri citizens. Its author has been 

 induced to come here this evening, and he may possibly have come under 

 the impression that he would not be called on to speak. If so he is sadly 

 mistaken. I am sure that everyone here Avill take great pleasure in lis- 

 tening to what the gentleman I refer to has to say on the subject under 

 discussion. I take pleasure in calling on Mr. James I*^ewton Baskett, 

 of Mexico, Mo. (Applause.) 



Mr. Baskett, replying in part: Mr. Toastmaster and gentlemen: 

 It seems to me that I ought to devote mvself for a few minutes to mv 

 friend who has called me up (laughter) for the position he has put me 

 in, for he gave me no intimation whatever of the character of the discus- 

 sion that is going on. I will forego that and launch at once into the 

 thought which has been so prettily put before you by Professor Whitten, 

 and see what I can do with it from my standpoint. I want to say that I 

 am thoroughly in sympathy with the thought which has been put forth 

 by our toastmaster and so ably discussed by Professor Whitten that there 

 should be in some form instilled into the minds of our country people 

 deeper aesthetic appreciation of the means of ornamenting their homes, 

 their school houses and their churches directly out of the things that are 

 around them. It has been a part of the study of my life to try to im- 

 press upon rural folk, and especially upon the farmer, it has been a part 

 of my writing and the talking I have done to impress upon the people 



