Proceedings at Semi- Annual Meeting. 19 



more should he be pronounced a benefactor who makes two straw- 

 berries, or two apples, or two flowers grow, where only one had 

 grown, for the wholesome gratification of man's palate and sense of 

 the beautiful. The Agricultural College Department of the Mo. 

 University is the only educational institution in the state which is 

 organized in your special interest. There, and there alone, by 

 class-room work, with its museum collection and varied appliances, 

 hot houses and extensive horticultural grounds, with competent 

 and faithful instructors and superiuteudents, can a special educa- 

 tion in this vocation beobtamed in this state. The expert professor 

 in charge of this department of work for teaching the application 

 of the sciences in this specific direction, is now the president of your 

 society, and is here on his way to New Orleans to look after the 

 plant department of that great exposition, of which special depart- 

 ment he has been put in charge. The horticultural section of our 

 agricultural college work has hitherto co-operated with this asso- 

 ciation, and I hope so satisfactorily that the co-operation may be 

 perjjetuated and mutually beneficial. For a time we gave attention 

 to the commercial feature with the view of aiding in chasing from 

 our state the swindling tree and fruit peddlers by co-operating with 

 honest dealers to make deliveries correspond with name. We have 

 withdrawn within the past two years from the aggressive feature of 

 this work, leaving it to private dealers, and confined our attention 

 to the educational features and to co-operation with this society in 

 effecting improvements, only supplying our surplus by natural 

 growth, and of best quality to such as come or apply for it. This 

 will probably be the permanent attitude of this feature of our work. 

 In conclusion, allow me to express hope that our General As- 

 sembly will hereafter step abreast with other States and show an 

 increased aj^preciation of the Horticultural Society, and Board of 

 Agriculture. Their influence tends directly to the development 

 and improvement of our wonderful natural resources in those di- 

 rections, which not only bring financial success but increase com- 

 fort and happiness to all our homes. What we pre-eminently need 

 in Missouri is that encouragement should be given to everything 

 that increases the attractions of home life in the country. This 

 wonderfully located and rapidly improving city of Springfield 

 stands in the midst of hn ocean of agricultural wealth with an 

 outlying prospect of unbounded jn-osperity. I am. told that the 

 climate and the soil of these surrounding regions are admirably 

 adapted to the successful growth of fruits which minister to the 

 pleasures of the palate, the health of the body and the building of 



