FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING, 



"The annual meeting of the Missouri State Horticultural Society 

 was held at Neosho on December 20, 21 and 22, and was, beyond ques- 

 tion, one of the most successful meetings ever held by the Society. It 

 was the concensus of opinion that the beautiful town of Neosho, situated 

 in the very heart of the famous fruit growing section of the Ozark coun- 

 try, was a most ideal place for the meeting of the Society. It was to the 

 imtiring zeal and efforts of Mr. F. H. Speakman, and his associates in 

 the preparatory work that this opinion among the members present was 

 so general." — From American Truck Farmer, St. Louis, Mo. 



! 



FIRST SESSION— TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20th, 8 P. M. 



The meeting was called to order by President Whitten. The opening 

 prayer was given by Rev. Henry Marshall. Miss Patterson played a 

 beautiful piano solo. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



(Mayor T. W. Lamson). 



In addition to the customary greetings, expressing our appreciation 

 of a convention of practical earnest brainy men, we especially welcome 

 you because your instruction results in adding wealth to the community 

 and comfort to the people. 



Land is a safe investment for the present and future. It is the basis 

 of productive wealth and the reliance of the toiling mases of humanity. 

 The trend of population is to centralization. As the years pass, relatively 

 more people congregate in cities and towns, lessening the number of 

 people who grow cereals, meats and fruit, and increasing the number of 

 people who consume bread, meat and fruit without producing either. 

 Under these conditions, tillers of the soil should be the money makers 

 of the future. Every farmer should read the merited compliment to 

 agriculture told in the wonderful story of American agricultural pros- 

 perity by the Secretary of Agriculture in his annual report. We are 

 •dazed by statements that the corn crop of 1904 would pay the national 



