162 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



advertise her frait and push it to the front. If Missouri would make 

 as great and systematic effort in this direction she would let the world 

 know that she is one of the very first, if not the first, fruit states in 

 the nation. I think her people are awaking to the fact that there is 

 more money in fruit than in some of the cereals. Her land, as now 

 half-way cultivated, sustains a population of two and three-quarter 

 millions. It might support double the number. 



I believe nearly all of this beautiful frait now on exhibition was 

 grown in this State. Much of it comes as a revelation to our people 

 in letting them know what can be grovrn in the State. I hope this 

 meeting will be pleasant and profitable, both to the visitors and our 

 own people. I extend to you a cordial and heartfelt welcome to our 

 city. 



YICE-PEESIDENT N. F. MURBAY'S RESPONSE. 



Ladies and gentlemen, in response to the eloquent address of wel- 

 come by your worthy mayor it becomes my duty and pleasure, as the 

 representative of the State Horticultural Society of Missouri, to re- 

 turn to your honored mayor, who represents the good people of 

 Moberly our sincere thanks for the cheerful greeting and hearty wel- 

 come you have given oar Society to the hospitality and freedom of 

 your beautiful city. We are not all surprised at this enthusiatic wel- 

 come, in fact we would be very much surprised to meet with anything 

 else in any one of the' numerous cities of imperial Missouri. 



We trust that we have all gathered here on this happy occasion, 

 not from any spirit of selfishness, but rather in the spirit of the Great 

 Master and teacher of our race who came not to be ministered to, but 

 to minister unto others. Horticulture is the most effective mode of 

 tillage, whether the products are for utility or beauty. 



Horticulture is of great antiquity, in fact it began in the Garden 

 of Eden before the fall, when God commanded Adam to dress and 

 keep the Garden, thus proving that man was to be an industrious be- 

 ing and not an idle tramp and vagabond upon the earth. The Greeks 

 and Romans delighted in horticulture and to them we are indebted for 

 many of our most useful plants. All civilized lands practice it with 

 unfailing assiduity; within the last forty years it has advanced to 

 a surprising extent in the United States, hence many societies 

 have sprung up, and among the foremost of all, we find our own 

 State Horticultural Society assembled here tonight after just forty 

 years of earnest work to give you the light and benefit of our ex- 

 perience. While we are an intelligent people, both as Americana and 



