ANNUAL MEETING AT NEVADA. 30^ 



OUR TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM 



is one of the most important things we should attend to. If our rail- 

 roads and express companies will only use the liberal policy that the 

 matter justifies, then we can cover hundreds of thousands oi" our acres 

 with orchards, but if they will take every dollar of profit there is in the 

 business, then it is only a question of a short time when they will kill 

 not only what enthusiasm there is in our state, but will prevent also very 

 much new planting. 



If our railroads and express companies will treat us only as well as 

 does the Illinois Central, the southern part of that state, they will see in 

 a few years, an interest developed, many times greater than that of 

 Southern Illinois. 



The committee on transportation have a "huge job" on their hands, 

 but it will never be regulated unless we as a body, take hold of it. 

 United effort, continual work, earnest talk, and yet^some time may elapse 

 before we get what we want and what we deserve. 



Officially it must be presented to the managers of our railroads, not 

 only by our state society but by every local society, by every farmer's 

 club, by every grange, and by every wheel organization of our state. 



I find our railroad men willing to do what we want when we can 

 show them that it is to their interest to do so, and it does seem to me 

 that I could satisfy any one of them in five minutes that such is the case. 

 The only hard thing to do about it is to get them to look at the matter 

 in the right light. It will take persistent effort, time and time again to 

 succeed however. Like everything else, it is worth the time and trouble 

 if we only succeed in the end. 



OUR FRUIT SHOW 



I have reported upon in a special paper. I believe that there never was 

 a better show of apples brought together ; I believe there never was a 

 more successful display; I believe that a collection of fruits never did as 

 much good as did this one for the State of Missouri. Thousands upon 

 thousands saw but to admire, saw but to commend, saw but to be in- 

 structed and enlightened as to the capabilities of our state. Our .society 

 had been saving some money and found this a good way of using it. 



About eight hundred dollars have been used for this purpose and it 

 ever money was well spent, it was this. The financial report will be given 

 by our treasurer and the bills for the same. The expenses of the secre- 



