380 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



worth millions of dollars. There are quite a number of varieties which 

 possess more or less of the good qualities of the ideal apple, and some 

 of them will do very well as makeshifts or substitutes for it, but our 

 best pomologists and fruit growers lament that we have not got a bet- 

 ter apple to take the place of the Ben. Davis. A great deal of atten- 

 tion is being given at this time to the discovery and introduction of 

 new promising seediugs, and all fruit growing associations are giving 

 much attention to the revision of fruit lists. It is to be hoped that the 

 Missouri State society will diligently apply itself to this much needed 

 departure and thereby educate planters upon this most important feat- 

 ure of the business. ISew beginners are at no loss about what to plant, 

 but experience finally teaches them that it is a question or problem not 

 vet solved. 



WOMAN'S MISSION IN HOETICULTCJEE. 



BY MRS. WADE BURDEN, SPRINGFIELD, MO. 



Mr. President^ Ladies and Gentlemen : 



The subject assigned me by your executive committee is " Woman's 

 Mission in Horticulture." Has woman a special mission in horticulture °? 

 The first woman who imagined she had came to grief, finding herself 

 unexpectedly at a horticultural exhibition (the first on record) where 

 the fruit was shown in its natural state, (on the trees) and the attend- 

 ance not large but very select, she immediately constituted herself a 

 committee on fruits and proceeded to sample the variety under con- 

 sideration. The result was disastrous. Had it not been for that com- 

 mittee of one this earth might now be one vast Eden, and man (and 

 woman too) be luxuriating on the fruits thereof instead of earning their 

 bread by the sweat of their brow. 



But would that state of affairs be likely to promote the best inter- 

 ests of horticulture? We opine not. If such were the case woman 

 could not possibly have a mission, and then what would become of the 



