156 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



est fruits; with a fruit experiment station under the supervision of a"^ 

 director of acknowledged authority on all subjects pertaining to pomol- 

 ogy; with institutions of learning whose alumni may be found filling 

 professorships in the various departments of instruction for work in hor- 

 ticulture throughout our land; with a state horticultural society made of 

 men so practical and successful in their work as to be found only in the 

 front ranks of their profession, among the first to advocate the use of, 

 and putting to practical test, such insecticides as are required to hold in 

 check the depredations of our most dreaded foes; with inventive genius 

 that has given the country the most valuable spraying machinery in use; 

 with facilities unequalled by that of any other region of the continent 

 for distributing, in the most economical manner possible, everything pro- 

 duced. I leave it to you, Mr. President, and the members of this honored 

 association, to determine in your deliberations what shall be the future 

 of horticulture in this most highly favored region. Be thoughtful, act 

 wisely; but, above all, act up to your convictions and execute with that 

 rapidity demanded by the exigencies of the times in which we are living, 

 remembering that masterly inactivity has blighted more prospects and 

 ruined more men than all other causes combined. 



As I glance over the young men in this audience, I am reminded of lost 

 opportunities, and what I might have accomplished when full of ambi- 

 tion, vigor, and nerve possessed years ago ; but I can only tell you what 

 I would do with my present knowledge and convictions if I were thirty 

 years younger. First of all, there should be planted an apple orchard of 

 ample dimensions, made of such varieties as would seem to be best calcu- 

 lated to resist the various diseases that are known today, to be followed 

 by others, like the plum, peach, pear, cherry, apricot, and some of the 

 small fruits — some or all of the above, as circumstances and conditions 

 would seem to warrant, in the full faith that future results would vindi- 

 cate the wisdom of the undertaking. 



Faith unwavering is essential to success ; but, gentlemen, "faith with- 

 out works is dead." 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Willard: I think we do not always realize what the burning over 

 of the orchards by the fungus means. I remember one day in the month 

 of August, passing over the Michigan Central, when it was difficult to 

 see an orchard (and there were multitudes of them) but showed the 

 effect of this fungus. They looked as though a fire had gone over them. 

 I remember T remarked, "No apples for next year.'' They said, "We 

 certainly shall have Ihem next year.'' I said, "No, you will have two suc- 

 cessive failures." There is some reason for the wondiM'ful multiplicity 

 ol these diseases, and I think you will find a great deal less of it on our 

 newer lands, and my opinion is. and has been for some time, that it has 

 been because our orchai'ds have not been properly fed with material suit- 

 able for their support. I got the idea first from one of the professors at 

 the Michigan Agricultural College, of spraying for the codlin moth. 1 

 stole it from IVIichigan. or borrowed it, rather, and I always feel like being 

 very grateful. 



