Additional Papers. 129 



This study of adaptability is one of the most important in all the 

 line of study and still the hardest one to settle finally and correctly. 

 It is one which needs a lot of experience and observation to settle 

 profitably. 



TT[E MISSOURI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



(L. A. Goodman.) 



The Missouri State Horticultural Society is now forty-six years 

 old. The first meeting was held at Jeflterson City, January 5th, 1859, 

 and it was called the Missouri Fruit Growers. Prof. Swallow, N. J. 

 Colman and George Ilussman were among the members ; Colman', 

 president, and Hussman as secretary. Their discussion was then on 

 varieties of apples. In September at St. Louis, they were again 

 called together, and the third time that year at Jefferson City, in De- 

 cember. William ^Tuir was then made secretary. Colman had 700 

 pear trees and they discussed pear blight. One great difficulty they 

 had was to straighten out the varieties of apples, some of them having 

 a half dozen or more names for the same kind. The meeting of Sep- 

 tember, i860, was held at Hermann. At St. Louis in January, 1861, 

 again at St. Louis in January, 1862, and still again in January, 1863, 

 did the society convene at the same place. It was at this meeting that 

 the name was changed to ^Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



In the year 1881 this Society met in the old hall of Agriculture in 

 Columbia, to organize and put the society on a footing equal to that 

 of other states. From that small gathering of six persons, there went 

 out on impetus of will and work that has accomplished much in the 

 interest of fruit growing in our State, until today we need not fear 

 the best of any of our sister states in any competition that may arise, 

 or in the lessons they may give to the fruit grower. 



The growth of- the Society and of the fruit industry has been a 

 steady, regular solid growth, one which develops with the intelligence 

 and knowledge of our workers. It is not of spasmodic or uncertain 

 kind which grows only for a day and is then cut down like the grass 

 of the field; but this continued, earnest, energetic, intelligent, and sys- 

 tematic planning and working has made the State today what it is in 

 orchards and vineyards and small fruits. What this Society has had 

 to do with this work is already written in the hearts of men and their 

 lives, as well as in the library of twenty-three volumes it has issued. 



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