No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 467 



Now, I was much interested in Prof. Stewart's demonstration 

 this morning. That was a good thing to listen to ; but how many of 

 us who have heard it will take it home with us? Now if Prof. 

 Stewart was to go to Adams county and go to a half a dozen of the 

 farmers there and show them by ocular demonstration what can be 

 done, these methods would be carried out all up and down the County 

 of Adams, which has become one of our great apple-producing 

 regions. I asked, on one occasion our friend from Berks county, 

 what the best apple was for all purposes; and he said ''Stayman 

 Winesap," and I have had that on my brain ever since, and several 

 weeks ago I asked Mr. Tyson to send me a box. In a few days 

 I got a box by express and there is no reason why Pennsylvania 

 could not produce the Winesap, as one of the leading varieties. 



My old Secretary got me to go out to the Carnegie Library last 

 year to talk to some of the boys. A friend of his who had charge 

 of a lot of boys in Pittsburg thought the boys might be interested 

 in a man who had only one leg and uses crutches. Now, I never 

 have any hesitancy to exhibit myself to boys at any time, so, of course 

 I went. On the way he ran into a fruit shop, and knowing my fond- 

 ness for api)les, came out with a Winesap for me. I asked him what 

 he paid for it; he hesitated a little, and I said "You need not be 

 ashamed of it, Pearson; j^ou know I value it as much if it cost two 

 cents as if it cost twenty-five cents." He said as a matter of fact, 

 he had paid ten cents for it. I went one year into the store of Henry 

 Hallowell 6L' Sons, on Broad St., below Chestnut, Philadelphia, and 

 looking around T said, "You don't mean to tell me you erected this 

 building?" He said, "Yes, they had just handed it over to the Eeal 

 Estate Trust Co., and had it conform with theirs, so that it would 

 rent more readily." I said, "I guess we will have to pay for it." 

 He said, "l^ou have paid for it." I wanted a Bellflower apple, he 

 brought me one nicely wrapped up in a piece of tissue paper. I said, 

 "But that is not a BellfloAver." He said, "Oh, yes, it is a Western 

 apple." I said "That accounts for it; they couldn't come up to the 

 Pennsylvania fruit." You can't have a Bellflower without the fra- 

 grance and the taste. I wouldn't give a bushel of them for one Bell- 

 flower that comes from Centre county, Pennsylvania. And I paid 

 five cents apiece, or sixty cents a dozen for them ! Why ? Because 

 they pay attention to the picking and the packing, and consult the 

 tastes as well as the taste of the consumer. Now, I was glad to get 

 that box from the Tyson's the other day. Every apple was nicely 

 wrapped up in tissue paper. They, too, are studying the tastes 

 as well as the taste of their consumer, and there is no reason why 

 their method should not be more generally adopted by Pennsylvania 

 growers. 



Well, now, T got off my story a little on the apple question. About 

 these bills that are pending in Congress. I know of two or three. 

 I heard of a couple more last night. One of them was introduced 

 by the Senator from Georgia, who was President Cleveland's Secre- 

 tary of the Interior, Hoke Smith, who has since then been Governor 

 of Georgia. He is very much interested in agriculture. In fact, 

 the Southern people are taking much interest in improving their 

 agriculture, through tlie Department of Agriculture^ of which our 

 friend. Prof. Hamilton is an honored member — under Prof, Hays, 



