54 State Horticultural' Society. 



York is still the banner state in the production of apples, but the time 

 will come, and is not far distant, when Missouri will raise more apples 

 and better apples than any state in the Union, especially the Ben Davis. 

 And even now she is holding her own when you consider the age of 

 the trees. Yea, she is doing more than holding her own : According to 

 the census of 1900 she has 20,040,399 apple trees v/hile the great apple 

 state of New York which comes next has only 15,054,832. 



Talk to me about old Missouri, why she can beat the world in rais- 

 ing smart politicians, fine mules, beautiful women and Ben Davis apples. 

 Hence, its no cause for wonder that in this good year of the Lord 1904 

 there is being held within the borders of this State, the grandest exposi- 

 tion that has ever been seen in this or any other land. 



The horticultural and pomological displays, which are or will be 

 the largest and most complete that have ever been known in ancient or 

 modern times, owe or will owe their success in a very great measure to 

 the untiring efforts unparalleled energy and wide knowledge of the apple 

 growers and others interested in the cause of horticulture. No visitor 

 should leave St. Louis without thoroughly inspecting these departments, 

 and taking a good look at Frederic W. Taylor, L. A. Goodman and John 

 T. Stinson who are in charge of them. And I say especially John T. 

 Stinson, because, as I am reliably informed, he is the man who on the 

 27th of next September, will give away to the public one million dollars 

 worth of apples. Such deeds of chivalry, Mr. President, remind me of 

 the days when knighthood w^as in flower, and therefore I say, may the 

 blessing from On High rest on the gallant sir knight, "Apple" John, and 

 his great liberality. I honestly believe that one of the causes of Mis- 

 souri's awakening from her long slumber was the appearance on the 

 stage of her activity of the intelligent apple grower. 



As I still claim to be a citizen of Tennessee, I beheve I can assert, 

 without being accused of egotism, that the apple grower of Missouri is 

 one of her best and most useful citizens, and I am quite satisfied that 

 when his course is run on this earth, and his genial spirit passes to the 

 other side of Jordan and into the new Jerusalem, he will leave to poster- 

 ity the richest legacy of all the dead — the Ben Davis apple tree. 



But while, as I have said, the apple grower is the best man of the 

 two the apple shipper has also a great mission to perform in life. His 

 mission is largely for the benefit and advantage of the apple grower and 

 this being so, he will surely get his reward, if not in this world then in 

 the next. 



Mr. President, I believe that when, at the end of time, the Angel 

 Gabriel blows his horn for the just and the good to appear, some of 

 .the apple shippers will be found at the golden gate. 



