PRESIDENTS ANNUAL ADDRESS, I9O4. I5 



view of the fields, lakes and rivers as God made them, "Oh," 

 said he, "they will never be so beautiful again." And they have 

 not been, nor are they now. The hand of man has so far been 

 careless and awkward. But we have only begun our work; 

 when it is completed we may hope that the earth will again show 

 forth a harmony and beauty like unto that of which we robbed it. 

 There is much useful agitation these days for good roads, and 

 it is probably necessary, in some sense, that they be made first 

 good and then beautiful. As they stand today, they are very far 

 from being either. The attempts that have so far been made in 

 planting our highways have been commonly ill advised and fre- 

 quently hideous. As a society we need to put more thought on 

 this subject and take a larger initiative in suggesting plans that 

 shall at once be practical and truly decorative. While the city 

 residence, park and cemetery are getting a fair share of our at- 

 tention, I fear that we are also in a measure neglecting to pro- 

 vide plans and suggestions for planting the farm and village lot. 

 We especially need to educate our people away from the idea 

 that these efforts in home adornment should be opposed to na- 

 ture, or tending to express artificial ideals only, and show them 

 that the truest beauty is that which they may copy from the 

 native copses and openings about them. 



Having thus rambled over the work field of our society with 

 you, I must now call you back to the duties and pleasures of our 

 present meeting. Let us be truly fraternal in our intercourse. 

 Here and during these days we are each to be the humble, cour- 

 teous servant of the other. For the stranger and the new mem- 

 ber we have an especial welcome. You are the very people that 

 we have been seeking! We wish your questions, your fresh 

 thoughts and your suggestions. We hope to make you so con- 

 tented here that you will choose to stay with us. The older 

 members need no spoken welcome, for we are indeed brethren ; 

 eye speaks to eye, and heart to heart, and "There's no friend like 

 the old friend." 



So then, in the midst of these most cheerful surroundings, 

 with fruits and flowers and music to inspire us, let us be about 

 our work. 



