1905.] DTSCUSSION. 33^ 



all his debts and allowed him to die above board. He cultivated 

 the gladiolus when it was first introduced here. He had a 

 magnificent bed of them, and many thousands of plants were 

 sold in advance of nurserymen, greatly to his advantage. 

 About the same year the Early Rose potato was first brought 

 into cultivation, and he cultivated several acres of that. And 

 those Rose potatoes and the gladioli brought him out of debt, 

 free and above board, so that he was enabled to pay his debts 

 and die in comfortable circumstances. That was in Brooklyn. 



In my early correspondence with my friend at Brooklyn, 

 our postmaster, when I sent a letter to Mr. Dwyer upon one 

 occasion, held it back because he thought I had made a mistake 

 in addressing it " Brooklyn, Conn." He said I had addressed 

 it to Brooklyn, Conn., instead of addressing it, as I should, to 

 Brooklyn, N. Y. He would not send it off until he had inquired 

 to know whether I had not made a mistake. That was the 

 knowledge of Brooklyn in our part of the State at that time. 



But I found in Brooklyn, through Mr. Dwyer and this old 

 deacon and this Episcopalian clergyman, through their cultiva- 

 tion of flowers, that it made, all through the town, a good deal 

 of difference when you put conditions upon the general farms 

 throughout the State. I want to bear this testimony at this 

 time, to my appreciation of getting some information with 

 regard to the early days of Brooklyn, Conn. 



Secretary Brown. I am sure, gentlemen, you all share with 

 me the great surprise I have felt at having the country life of 

 forty years ago so eloquently depicted by a college president. 

 We did not expect that a college president would have so much 

 early knowledge of farm life in Connecticut. 



Another thing, I have nowhere and at no time heard 

 expressed so clearly and so conclusively the causes which have 

 been at work to depopulate the rural towns of Connecticut, as 

 it has been depicted here this morning by President Luther. 

 We know of the changes that took place forty years ago, when 

 so many of our young men went to the front never to return, 

 Agr. — 3 



