220 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



place that you can go that I know of to keep from being kicked — 

 and that is to your grave. So that the enemies that we have 

 to overcome, not the enemies to the individual but the enemies 

 to the proposition, and I think just as much of that man who 

 objects to that proposition as the man who accepts it; he has 

 just as much a right to his opinion as I have to mine. I respect 

 the man, no matter what his belief may be, if he plays fair or 

 fights in the open, and that is what a good many of our Pettis 

 county friends did. Among the best farmers over there many of 

 them objected to the proposition in the beginning, but they 

 fought in the open; they investigated the matter, and today 

 they are among our very best supporters and friends. When we 

 drove to the farm I spoke of a moment ago my friend said, "That 

 man will not do you any harm, but he don't believe in you." I 

 said, "I will not get out of the machine until invited." But 

 presently the man came down and asked me if I thought he had 

 any soil that would grow alfalfa. I knew by his look that he 

 did not want to grow alfalfa, had no faith in it, and I said, 

 "Well, I doubt whether you have. It looks to me like this farm 

 is pretty badly worn." I told him if he would like for me to 

 make an examination of the soil I would be pleased to do so, 

 and that up yonder on the hill looks to me like the only place 

 that might be reasonably sure of growing alfalfa. I made the 

 soil test and while we were at work he asked, "Are you an 

 orchard doctor?" "Oh," I told him, "Not much of one, did not 

 know much about it." "Well," he said, "I am having some 

 orchard trouble." I said, "Maybe I can help you. Let us go 

 down there." He said, "My trees seem to be dying on one 

 side." I knew at once what the trouble was. We walked on 

 and I saw one tree a short distance ahead of me that was a nice 

 looking tree. Before we got to it I took my knife out of my 

 pocket. The farmer had not observed that the bark was dead, 

 but I had; I had seen too much of it. I took my knife and cut 

 down a slice on each side and that piece of bark fell right down 

 to the ground. By spring you would perhaps see that bark drop 

 off of the tree. I told him what it was, how serious it was and 

 what to do for it, but pointed to another tree. "Now," I said, 

 "that other tree did not die from this cause. That tree leafed 

 out nicely last spring, had blossoms on it and a certain amount 

 of fruit, but within sixty days was dead." I said, "You cut 

 some bark down on that." When he put his knife into the 

 bark and cut it down the dust almost flew into his eyes. He 



