TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL MEETING. 83 



closely allied are the plum and cherry, the pollen of the one will fertilize 

 the other. If this be so, this may in a measure account for an annual crop 

 of each in a small orchard planted in alternate rows. When we consider 

 that our experimental stations, agricultural colleges, as well as department 

 of agriculture at Washington, are all actively engaged in efforts to solve 

 problems of vital interest to the wide-awake fruitgrower, we think we have 

 great reason for encouragement, and one should prosecute this work with 

 great zeal while availing himself of all required knowledge now at his 

 command. 



Faith and works, however, are required to go hand in hand, in this our 

 favorite occupation. The investment must be made before returns can be 

 expected, and sometimes the heart is sick in waiting. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF A BEGINNING. 



Well do we remember when our first venture was made, and the few 

 acres planted stigmatized as an exhibit of our folly. We had the land 

 and not much else. We could not sell it for half its cost. We believed in 

 the work, and thought we could see the future profits to follow; but how 

 to get the trees and plants, and carry all forward in such a skillful manner 

 as to insure the end sought, was a puzzling question. We read and 

 thought and decided to go ahead as best we could; and so often were we 

 called a fool that we were sometimes led to question our own sanity. No 

 mistake, our surroundings do have their influence, and often lead us to 

 doubt our own abilities; but faith and hard work wilL bring their reward, 

 and ten per cent, income on $2,000 valuation per acre, for successive years, 

 we regard as a safficient reward for the hours of toil in the accomplishment 

 of our possibilities, while we have to smile at our doubting neighbors, 

 some of whom have fallen into line and are pursuing the same work. 



We would not be misconstrued, however, nor would we wish to mislead 

 any as to the profits in fruitgrowing. It has its downs as well as ups. 

 Low rates of interest mean low prices for everything produced, hence war 

 prices should not be anticipated; but we do mean to say that no invest- 

 ment can be made in this or any other good fruitgrowing state, in the way of 

 soil tillage, that will pay a larger percentage, one year with another, than 

 when judiciously expended in growing such fruits as are adapted to the 

 soil on which they are planted. 



Note, if you please, this question of adaptability. It is important, none 

 more so. A disregard of it has been productive of failures beyond com- 

 putation. We believe so thoroughly in the adaptability of certain portions 

 of your state for gowing certain fruits with such unerring success that, 

 were we twenty years younger, we should not hesitate to push some inter- 

 ests of this kind in a very large way on land now waiting for the work of 

 the skillful cultivator, only to afford returns that cannot be overestimated. 

 Nowhere east of the Rockies can the stone fruits, as well as some others, 

 be grown and marketed with the same success of profit as on the east shore 

 of your great lake. 



As plums are my favorite fruit, and the area of country where they can 

 be grown successfully is quite limited, you can readily understand that my 

 large venture would be on this fruit, with a fair intermingling of others 

 that might be regarded as desirable and fitted for tiie location. 



