THE ANNUAL MEETING. 1G5 



obtained through the intelligent observation of such men as Bates, Booth and 

 Bakewell. Indeed, Mr. President, it hardly admits of discussion that habits 

 of observation are of practical assistance ; are, indeed, a necessity in all the in- 

 dustrial pursuits of life. 1 may say that this is especicdlij true of fruit raising. 

 The fruit grower has to deal with climate, soil, location, markets, insect, and 

 other enemies; blight and rust and mildew, and other diseases, and to be suc- 

 cessful he needs all the practical knowledge possible. And he can attain it 

 only through habits of observation. By habits of observation I do not mean 

 periodical lits, if I may so express it, of noticing facts tliat are constantly oc- 

 curring, but the habit of giving such close attention to these facts that nothing 

 escapes us ; that we can use them as a part of our knowledge ; that we can re- 

 call them, generalize them, and bring them to bear in all our plans and in all 

 our work. It is not an easy matter to acquire such habits. They are plants of 

 slow growth. It takes time and close attention. It is easier, much easier, to 

 acquire habits of carelessness, habits of running by and overlooking facts with- 

 out any investigation. Few of us really have fixed habits of observation. Yet 

 it pays to acquire such habits. It is worth our time, and it seems to me that 

 fruit growing affords better facilities for this than any other pursuit. It may 

 be said that the fruit grower has no time for observation. He certainly has as 

 mucli as the general farmer, and then, too, he is in such close relation to all 

 the details of his work. He spends most of his time in his orchard, vineyard 

 or gardens, and is intimately connected with his business and conversant with 

 all its details. He knows every tree, vine or plant from the beginning, and if 

 he loves his work, — as who does not? — he can not help but be observant of all the 

 changes taking place day by day and year by year. Each tree seems a com- 

 panion or friend, and he observes with interest every new development. The 

 insect enemies, and their name is legion, have to be watched and their ravages 

 guarded against. This fact alone is sufficient to prove the value of fruit grow- 

 ing as a means of acquiring habits of observation, and to prove also the neces- 

 sity of such habits as a guaranty of success in fruit growing. Each new enemy 

 as it comes has some new way of doing its work, and must be "watched, its 

 habits noted, and means devised to prevent its ravages. The fruit grower has 

 enemies also, as well as friends, among the feathered tribes, and it needs tlie 

 closest observation and the nicest discrimination sometimes to judge between 

 friend and foe. There are also many mysteries connected with the diseases of 

 fruit trees and plants that intelligent, close and long continued observation 

 alone can solve. May the time soon come when the cause of blight and rust 

 and mildew may be known and the remedy for each be understood. We should 

 each realize the importance of careful observation as a means of acquiring ex- 

 perience. We should feel that it is a necessity, and when we feel this the 

 habit will come naturally, and when once acquired will never leave us. It 

 teaches us where and wlien to plant, when to prune, how to cultivate, where 

 and when to market, in fact about all there is to be known about fruit growing 

 comes through this means. And we should not confine our observation wholly 

 to our own orchards and our own methods, but should observe the methods 

 pursued by others, whether successful or otherwise. We may learn as much 

 from the failure of others as from their success. Our own failures will show 

 us where we have lacked in observation, and our success will prove to us the 

 importance of close attention to every fact that has a bearing ui^on our work. 

 As Mr. Satterleo closed, Mr. Potter of Kalamazoo remarked: ''There 

 IS a vast difference between superficial and practical observation ; the man 

 who generally observes best is the one who has something at stake — if that be 



