WINTER MEETING AT LEBANON. 307 



finds himself in a labyrinth of work and trouble, and at the end conies 

 out in debt. 



Success is not obtained or fortune made that way. But this com- 

 mon mistake is especially characteristic of the American nation. In 

 our struggle for the almighty dollar we often try to do too much, diver- 

 sifying our efforts, doing things in a hap-hazard, half-done manner, or 

 in other words, we get too many irons in the fire. 



My theory is, whatever your business is, if possible, make a spe- 

 cialty of it, and by personal, intelligent and industrious application, 

 success will follow. A lesson in this line, for which years ago I paid 

 highly, impressed itself on my mind. 



In 1869, a farmer boy, unacquainted with business, I started on 

 foot from "Old Missouri " to seek my fortune in the far West. After 

 trying my hand at mining and other work in Colorado, I finally landed 

 December, 1870, in Austin, Texas, where I secured employment as 

 porter in a wholesale grocery house. By strict economy and hard 

 work, I had in the fall of '71 saved up about 200 dollars. Seeing the 

 Arkansas apple peddler selling at 50 cents a dozen on the streets of 

 Austin apples which he had hauled loose in his canvas-covered wagon 

 from three to four hundred miles, I at once thought I had struck it 

 rich, as I dispatched all my available funds, (with promise to send more) 

 to a friend in Boonville, Mo., who complied with my request, bought 

 and shipped for me 500 barrels of apples. This was before railroads 

 were built direct to Texas. My shipment had to go via St. Louis, ~Sew 

 Orleans, across the Gulf to Galveston and finally 75 miles by mule or 

 ox team to Austin, Texas. 



While this was a roundabout, hazardous route in a southern climate 

 for apples, yet by proper management it might have been a success. 

 But desirous of holding my position and make this deal and its alluring 

 profits as a side issue, I entrusted to others what I should have done 

 myself — namely, to select varieties suitable for that tour, climate and 

 market, and pack them properly, to look after rates, quick transit and 

 innumerable things requisite to make it successful. In this all I made 

 the mistake which resulted in a complete failure. In short, when I 

 settled up this apple speculation of but few weeks duration, I found 

 my hard earned money all gone, and myself over $700 in debt, working 

 at the rate of less than $50 per month. 



This was my lesson !No. 1 in apple shipping. It took me sometime 

 of hard work and economy to earn enough to pay out. But the lesson 

 was a good one. But in conclusion to the subject. 



The mistakes and disappointments of the horticulturist I have in 

 this, so far, only suggested some outlines as I view the subject, and 



