4l6 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



FORESTRY AS RELATED TO THE FARM. 



MRS. LYDIA PHILLIPS WILLIAMS, MINNEAPOLIS. 



When your president informed me that he had reported to the 

 committee my subject as "Forestry as Related to the Farm," he as- 

 sured me it imposed no obligation to stick to the text, but that I 

 was to say anything I pleased upon any topic I might choose. We 

 have a lurking suspicion that he thinks that is woman's way, and for 

 two reasons we shall exercise our time honored prerogative : first, 

 that your president be not disappointed and, secondly, for the reason 

 that your program is weighty with the technical knowledge of ex- 

 perts. 



The last speaker has made us shiver with fear, as he has pictured 

 the poverty of the state board, and its only recourse, the state's 

 purse just after a general election, with politicians in charge of the 

 key. We think the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow scarce less 

 distant than the needed appropriation to make forestry work in 

 Minnesota effective, therefore it shall be my happy privilege to 

 bring you a word of good cheer and greeting from the General Fed- 

 eration of Women's Clubs, a great reserve force, "800,000 strong," 

 that is organizing in thirty-eight states of our Republic to march to 

 the support of the overworked forestry regulars and time honored 

 veterans, like your president, who has grown gray in. the service but 

 is still battering away at the breastworks of prejudice, outflanking 

 moving battalions of greed and storming Avails of apathy and ig- 

 norance. These recruits you may regard as the awkward squad, but 

 you must admit that their "long bow" has sometimes sent telling 

 shots into the enemy's camp and matched in forestry warfare their 

 brother's ballot-tipped, silver-burnished weapons. 



Pardon the repetition of an oft-told incident, in connection with 

 our forest reserve campaign, which is to the point. When the stress 

 came, and news reached us that some of our Minnesota members in 

 Washington had gone over to the enemy, the club women concluded 

 it was desirable to send representatives to interview our Congress- 

 men. On reaching Washington, we first sent our cards to a member 

 with whom we had a personal acquaintance and were received most 

 graciously with this greeting: "When did you arrive?" "How did 

 you leave my constituents, and what can I do to enhance the pleasure 

 and profit of your visit?" But as soon as we mentioned the forest 

 reserve, the atmosphere seemed suddenly struck by a nor'easter', and 

 the mercury fell as qiuckly as at Chilkoot Pass, and in icy accents 

 these words fell upon our ears : "Well, ladies, Pm not much inter- 

 ested in that forest reserve scheme, and I don't think my constituents 



