Annual Meeting at St. Josejjh. 249 



A few beds and borders surrounded by shells and stones filled 

 with a judicious selection of plants and flowers add a charm of 

 both beauty and fragrance to the home yard and garden. We 

 would not have you understand that we would fill all the space 

 with flowers, not by any means, but that they be not overlooked or 

 forgotten entirely. We also like to see a farmer's home surrounded 

 with a variety of crops and stock. Besides the field products there 

 should be an orchard of standard fruits and a good variety of 

 small fruits and a vegetable garden. To this add a small lot of 

 poultry, and the picture is complete. By a proper use of all these 

 comforts by the housewife, health is secured, want not known, 

 mortgages not needed, and happiness and content is the reward. 



Below will be found the most interesting portion of the speech 

 of Thos. Irish, of the Rich Hill Mhiing Revieiv, delivered before 

 the Bates County Horticultural Society, July 19th, 1884 : 



" The amount of money invested in horticultural interests in 

 Bates county is enormous — too much, my friends, to be alloAved to 

 take its chances with the dangers hovering around us. Danger 

 from the elements and from the pestiferous insects that are yearly 

 attracting our eager watchfulness and engaging our labored at- 

 tention ; too much, I say, not to require the fostering care and 

 untired efforts of every interested citizen. In no other way can 

 our aims be attained and our efforts made successful tlum by en- 

 larging the membership and interest of our horticultui'al society. 



A county with 35,000 enterprising, industrious, educated 

 inhabitants, occupying 576,000 acres of land, and enjoying 9,000 

 homes, with horticultnrar interests valued at 1450,000, should enjoy 

 a horticultural organization of such respectability and influence as 

 to command respect and attention, not only in our own county,but 

 in every county in this great state ; and to accomplish this and 

 much more it is only necessary that every member become a 

 watchful and useful member, engaging the co-labor of his neighbor 

 in the cause of horticulture, and carefully noting every item of 

 interest that comes under his observation. In this wav, and bv 

 devoting as much time as is possible in researcli and study of leading 

 works, reading the best horticultural journals and proceedings of 

 state and national associations, can we hope to reach that high and 

 honorable distinction as a society." 



It will not do for any member of this society to shirk the re- 

 sponsibility of his membership or plead the excuse of want of time 

 or too much business pressing upon him. We have all the time 

 there is, and as to manual labor, when not excessive, it invigorates 



