WINTER MEETING AT LEBANON. 259 



I am firmly of the opinion that the exhibition of fruits made by the 

 horticulturists of Missouri has done more to advertise the State than 

 all the chambers of commerce or immigration societies ever organized 

 within her borders. 



Apples, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, quinces, grapes, cherries, 

 strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, dew- 

 berries, huckleberries, all grow in Missouri. Figs were ripened this 

 year in the vicinity of Springfield on the farm of Mr. Haseltine. I would 

 not, however, advise any one to raise figs as a matter of profit. I 

 simply allude to this to show what can be done, and in connection 

 with other things to demonstrate the great possibilities of the State. 



If the society will pardon me, I desire at this point to touch on a 

 question though a little off of the subject is of vital importance to every 

 fruit-grower, not only in Missouri, but in every other State in the Union. 

 I allude to insect enemies which prey upon our fruits. Not a great 

 many years ago our fruit was generally sound. Now our apples are 

 wormy, our peaches are wormy, and so with our cherries and plums. 

 Twelve years ago it was an easy matter to gather from a few orchards 

 sufficient good fruit to make a display at our fairs. Now we have to go 

 over a large extent of territory to make anything like a decent show. 

 And so with everything that grows from mother earth for the suste- 

 nance of man. 



These enemies are increasing by the million, and there is nothing 

 in the whole cereal or vegetable kingdom but what is subject to their 

 ravages. 



I am no alarmist, but I believe the time is coming, unless there is 

 some united action for their destruction, when there will be war for 

 very existence between man and the insect creation. Having passed 

 through the grasshopper scourge along the western border of Missouri, 

 I have some idea of what desolation means. I have seen it in the 

 middle of summer when not a blade of grass was to be found on the 

 face of the earth, not a leaf upon the trees, no sign of life in all the 

 vegetable creation, and everything looked as bare and desolate as mid- 

 winter. 



This is but typical of what we may expect if insects should ever 



become so numerous as the hoppers were at that time. But light 

 seems to be breaking. Already a few bold and intrepid warriors have 

 begun to hurl the engines of destruction in the shape of arsenical poi- 

 son against the enemy with telling effect. Let the work go bravely on. 

 Let all horticulturists unite in one solid phalanx, move on the enemies' 

 works, and keep a spray of poison floating over every orchard in the 

 whole country. Then, and not till then, may we expect to have sound 

 fruit. 



