202 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



inquiring mind and this desire of the heart that causes us to constantly look 

 into the future and plan for large and great things, to strive in every possible 

 way to better our conditions, and we feel. Oh God, that Thou are interested 

 in this attempt upon our part, because Thou has so decreed. Thou dost 

 care for all Thy creation, and Thou dost foster every attempt on the part 

 of humanity to raise up into a larger and broader and higher light. 



We thank Thee for the work that this society is doing; we thank Thee 

 for their great deeds, for their outward and upper look ; we thank Thee for 

 all the improvements they have caused, for the improvements they are con- 

 stantly seeking. We rejoice in all this movement of humanity. We rejoice, 

 especially, in the movement of this organization and, here in the beginning 

 of this convention, we come into Thy presence ; we bow in humble acknowl- 

 edgment of the great God whose dominion we acknowledge, whose 

 sovereignity we honor and praise. In God we trust; unto Him we give 

 homage. Glory, and dominion and power be unto His great name. 



We acknowledge Thee in all Thy ways. We have read in Thy book that 

 Thou wilt direct our paths ; we realize that we can not accomplish anything 

 without Thy help. We rejoice that we are workers together with God, 

 God causes the sun to shine on the earth ; God causes the rain to fall in the 

 proper season ; He gives to us the snow ; He gives to us all those things 

 that do their part toward the earth bringing forth ; He has, as it were, 

 taken us into partnership with Himself. He has caused us to plow the 

 ground and cultivate the crop in order that the soil may produce bountifully ; 

 He has caused us to study so we may know how to improve the herds and 

 the flocks, and so we are workers together with God. 



We acknowledge Thee, Oh God, in all our ways ; we gladly acknowledge 

 all Thy blessings, for every perfect gift cometh from the Father of All, 

 from whom there is no shadow of turning. We rejoice in this great fact, 

 the laws of nature can not be violated or turned, but as we conform to these 

 great forces of nature and her laws so do we improve our condition. We 

 praise Thee that Thou hast given us a mind to seek the forces of nature and 

 understand their ways and methods of working. 



Let great and eternal good, our Father which art in Heaven, we pray 

 Thee, rest upon these men in all their inquiries, in all their deliberations, in 

 all their toil, in all their work. Great God and good, with earnest faith we 

 ask this blessing of Thee, and we are quite sure Thou will grant it to us, 

 for man never looked upward, man never took a step in advance, but Thou 

 dost lend approving smile and give a helping hand. So we ask Thy blessing 

 upon this convention, the men organized for the purpose of improving the 

 condition of humanity everywhere. Hear and accept of our gratitude, our 

 Father ; hear and accept of our prayer that we offer Thee in the name of 

 Jesus of Nazareth. Amen. 



The President: We will now hear an address of welcome 

 by Mayor Xorris, of Mason City. 



