■Winter Meeting. 155 



to its interests, through their tireless energies in its behalf, through 

 their unsleeping zeal, their sound judgment and sterHng worth, they 

 have bought it up to its present proportions and power. They have 

 budded, and grafted, and pruned, and sprayed and fertilized your Society 

 so that it has become a tall and fruitful tree. Although planted here 

 low in the Mississippi valley its top can be seen by New York on one 

 hand and California on the other. It now has the proud distinction of 

 being one of the best fruit societies in the world. The men whose work 

 made it such deserve the thanks, the praise, the confidence and the love 

 of the fruit growers of Missouri, and they have them. It is more than 

 a pleasure to have these veterans among us. It is a delight. We greet 

 you as our helpers, as our teachers and trainers, and as our gracious bene- 

 factors. 



We fondly cherish the hope that during your itinerancy here we 

 shall be able to receive at least a modicum of the knowledge which you 

 have come so generously to impart, and to find your enthusiasm which 

 you hope not to lose. May our hearts burn within us while you talk 

 to us by the way and unfold to us the mystery of the production and 

 disposition of good fruit. May we be inspired by your teachings and 

 example "to forget the things that are behind," the dying year with its 

 early floods and latter drought, despoiling our fields, to "reach forth 

 urto the things that are before," the coming year with its labors and 

 triumphs; and to "press forward towards the mark for the prize" of 

 every persistent, progressive fruit grower — success. 



May the blessing of the Most High be upon your convention in all 

 its work, and at its close, may we all feel that we have attended a real 

 fruit Chatauqua. 



Vocal Solo — Miss Diva Rudv. 1 



RESPONSE TO ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



(President Whitten.) 



In behalf of the Society I desire to thank the people of Neosho for 

 their cordial greeting. We realize fully how much this cordial welcome 

 signifies, coming from the people of Neosho, for this Society has met 

 here before and has experienced the hospitality of your city and of your 

 people. It is a great pleasure to us collectively and individually to again 

 renew these pleasant relations and to consider with you the subject of 



