246 State Horticultural Society. 



Missouri has grown from almost the lowest round of the ladder to the 

 very top, and stands today with the largest acreage of apple orchards of 

 any of our sister states. The increase of her population and wealth 

 and power has been something phenomenal in STATE building and more 

 than remarkable in its development in the Jiorficultural work. 



We are glad that the record of this Society stands well in the front 

 in helping, in advising, in developing this great work, and with you we 

 feel proud of our part in all this. 



At the meeting in this city, in 1882, we found that we had troubles 

 and difficulties, as we do now ; we had the insects and drouth and grass- 

 hoppers, which well nigh discouraged us in our work, but with the usual 

 pluck and push of the western man, we never gave up. Our work and 

 markets were quite different then from now. All the markets, nearly, 

 were home markets, and the beginnings of the great fruit orchards and 

 strawberry plantations of the State were not yet made. About two 

 years after, in 1884, this development began in the Ozarks. The State 

 Society had had very little help from our State, and it was from this 

 meeting that the beginning of our regular appropriation dated, being 

 secured by a committee sent by us to visit the Governor and legislators. 

 At this time Mr. Evans and myself secured an appropriation of $1,250.00 

 annually. 



The beginning of the cold storage problem was up before us then, 

 and at the corner of 4th and Grand avenue was an ice storage, which we 

 visited and had already tested during the summer, and we had a beauti- 

 ful lot of fruit on the tables to show the success we had even with ice 

 storage. 



How wonderfully has this business grown, until now we have most 

 of our fruit handled in cold storage plants and refrigerator cars, and no 

 dealer expects to handle even our winter apples without its use at the 

 present time. Apples and other fruits can now be had the year round by 

 its use. 



The work of the Society has been a continual one. No year since 

 I have been your Secretary but what we have had some special work to 

 do. From the displays we used to make at our Expositions, at the Amer- 

 ican Pomological Society, at the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society 

 meetings, at the various National Expositions, from that of Philadelphia 

 to that at St. Louis, advertising our fruits and fruit lands all over our 

 •country and setting an example to all our sister states, which they are 

 now following to their good. This Society, through your good help, has 

 always been doing something and always has something to do. 



During the last summer, besides the other usual routine work, we de- 



