86 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OUR APPROPRIATION, 



Thanks due to the members of our society, has been given, as usuaL 

 from our last Legislature, " $5,000 for the two years and the priming of 

 our reports." Last winter the President and myself went to Jefferson 

 City to see in what condition Ave were. You all know the temper of that 

 Legislature ; and as we visited member after member and told them 

 what we wanted and what the State needed, we found a hearty response 

 to our demands, but the " want of money " was the cry, and they were 

 going to cut off everything they possibly could, and some they could 

 possibly not. We found our greatest opposition in the Appropriation 

 committee, and there they had not only cut down our amount, but had 

 cut out our printing. With only 3,000 copies now, you see we would 

 be in bad shape to do systematic work for the next two years. So it 

 behooved us to see what our members had to say to their Kepresenta- 

 tives and Senators, and we wrote to them asking their advice and help 

 and a letter to their officials in both the House and Senate, asking an 

 increase instead of a reduction. As soon as these letters were received 

 the members of the Legislature came to hunt up our President on his 

 next visit, and asked him what it was we wanted. It was no more a 

 begging expedition, but a demand of our just rights, and we did get 

 them. We have this to say to the Legislature : That there is in no 

 instance the same amount of money spent with so good a return as is 

 this appropriation for our State society. This great State, with more 

 good fruit land than any other State in the Union, should not begrudge 

 a couple of thousand a year for that development, when so many thou- 

 sands are spent in so lavish a manner in so many other different ways- 

 which seem to us extravagant. 



OUR RESOURCES. 



Many are just beginning to realize the fruit interests, flower inter- 

 ests, vegetable interests, ornamental tree and forest interest. Our 

 society takes cognizance of all these, and is ready in each case to give 

 just the assistance needed, and to help develop them to the best inter- 

 ests of the State. 



Now from all over our State we have reports of the peculiar 

 adaptability of certain lands, soils and climate for special work. 



In Mississippi county they are growing the finest melons in the 

 whole United States. Those low, moist, sandy lands of that county, 

 rich in everything which will produce vegetable growth, seem pecu- 

 liarly adapted to the growth of this fruit and vegetable. You will be 

 astonished, I know, when I tell you that there will be thousands upon 



