VALUE OF HORTICULTURAL EDUCATION. 37 



have put forth. When in the beginning, in this state, men 

 came to this country and said we cannot grow apple trees. A 

 gentleman said to me this morning he had been here for thirty- 

 five years; he lived in Nemaha county; he said we had no idea 

 we could grow an apple in that country, 



I came here twenty-one years ago, and I think that the only 

 place they could grow apples was in Richardson, Nemaha and 

 Johnson counties, in the southeastern portion of our state. 

 About ten years ago they discovered that the northeast part of 

 the state was the real place where orchards could grow, it was 

 a great apple country. They told me up at Sioux City they 

 could grow better apples there than any where in the state of 

 Nebraska, and they were filled with hope that these things 

 could be done. I know it is only a short time ago that they 

 said fruit could not be grown here, and yet we find there beau- 

 tiful orchards. A man brought some to my house a few days 

 ago; and if any apples made any better sauce than those I 

 never saw them. 



The value of horticultural education cannot be over estimated 

 for the general welfare of this country. There is nothing in 

 the world that advertises a country as a good, substantial farm- 

 ing country any better than the plants, flowers and trees that 

 you see growing in that country. There is nothing that speaks 

 better for a class of people in the world than to see the orchards 

 and the meadows and the gardens and the flowers that are in 

 blossom. If you show me a community where every home is 

 adorned with trees, shrubs and plants, I will show you a com- 

 munity where civilization has reached the highest point, it has 

 the completest farm. And if you will show me a community 

 where the ornaments in the front and back yards are the swine; 

 if a man upon his lot will say that he has saved the price of a 

 lawn mower by permitting his cow and horse to eat the grass, 

 I will show you a condition of retrogression that this country 

 should not tolerate. 



We are speaking for better things. I think we depend too 

 much upon our lawn mowers and not enough upon cultivation. 

 We don't think all our lawns in our villages should be grass 

 plots. I think there ought to be a large part of it planted to 

 shrubs, trees and flowers of every description, and the children 



