Ajinual Meeting at St. Joseph, 251 



The anxiety aud the sweat of labor the horticulturist under- 

 goes in his earnest endeavor to make home surroundings pleasant 

 and healthful, to furnish his talJe with food delicate and whole- 

 some, to have the best of everything that grows in tl^e natural or 

 cultivated world, makes more of him, makes him more original, 

 gives a naturalness to his thoughts and ideas, and they come forth 

 with a force they could not have done if first anal3rzed by a critic's 

 head. His ideas are as flowers fresh from beside Ihe hedgerow, 

 fragrant and blooming ; not flowers taken apart and torn by the 

 botanist. The trials, disappointments and suffering the horticul- 

 turist has met and overcome, have fitted him to help others. 



The ordinary farmer and stock raiser does not accomplish 

 much without work. There is labor at every turn of the wheel and 

 every corner of the ranche, but to the man who adds to this the 

 care of an orchard and a garden, it would seem his work, like the 

 work of our own dear wives, was never done. It is one unceasing 

 season of watchin-g, pruning and digging. But what we want as 

 members of this society, is a reward for all our labors ; we want to 

 see the tree extend its branches and bear fruit ; we want to see the 

 vines cling to the wall and roses blossom. Then, friends, we must 

 work ; work in season and out of season ; work with our eyes, our 

 minds and our hands, and let otliers see what we can accomplish by 

 our diligent, systematic, united, intelligent work. We will not be 

 ashamed of our labors, for as the world advances, its workers will- 

 take a higher position — the dignity of labor will become more 

 apparent. 



EEPORT OF JASPER COUjSTTY HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 



BENNETT HALL, SECKETARY, CARTHAGE, 



The above named society has twenty members and has held 

 monthly meetings the past year with a fair attendance, except 

 during the summer months. Some of our meetings have been 

 very interesting, as we have had a question to discuss at each 

 meeting. 



The crops of fruit have been light. Apples and pears one-half 

 of a crop, peaches and grapes one-third of a c^op and strawberries 

 and raspberries a full crop. There was a large number of fruit 



