500 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and it is most helpful to you. You bring- these students in touch 

 with your work, and they have an interest in you. 



We hope to have you with us next summer at your annual meet- 

 ing, as usual. We will ask you to make that your home, and we will 

 anticipate your meeting with a great deal of pleasure. 



I want to thank you again in behalf of the School of Agriculture 

 for this very kind invitation and the privilege of occupying this even- 

 ing. (Applause.) 



Reponse. President J. M. Underwood. 



Col. Liggett, and Students of the School of Agriculture: 



I want to express on behalf of the State Horticultural Society our 

 appreciation of the privilege of having you with us tonight. I have 

 looked to this School of Agriculture as a means of great good that 

 is to be done to the cause of horticulture in this state, and in my an- 

 nual address to the society on Thursday I mentioned the fact that I 

 looked upon the school as one of the sources from which a great 

 good was to come to the State Horticultural Society, and I feel an 

 interest in it when I think of the great reforms that come through 

 education. Here is an organization second to none, perhaps without 

 an equal in the United States of its kind; I hear it disputed only by 

 some people who live in other states, because they think they have 

 something as good as anybody else, and we cannot blame them. I 

 will let you draw your own conclusions and let them think as they 

 please, but I still think there is nothing in the United States that 

 compares with our School of Agriculture. (Applause.) So I think 

 the horticultural society is to be congratulated in having this 

 strong ally that is coming forward to aid in its future work. The 

 young men and women of the school are certainly enjoying a great 

 privilege. I have watched the work of this school from the begin- 

 ning, and I have appreciated the fact that many things in my 

 own experience that it has taken years of time to acquire a know- 

 ledge of you are able to acquire in a few years. You have the 

 advantage of learning in this school what we had to learn by expe- 

 rience. It has been a tough lesson for us, and I doubt if you ever 

 have a lesson as hard in your experience as we have had. I think 

 as the days and months go by you will appreciate that fact. On the 

 side I have had a little cream through my association with the dairy 

 interests of the state, but in the field of horticulture I find the asso- 

 ciations and work which give me the greatest pleasure and claim 

 my deepest interest, and I want to ask all of you that so far as pos- 

 sible you will bring to the State Horticultural Society of Minnesota 

 all the aid that lies in your power, and you will find that you are 

 engaged in a good work and that you are traveling in excellent 

 company. There are none of them that drink, and I do not think 

 any of them swear, they do not use tobacco, and altogether they are 

 a mighty good set of people. (Laughter and applause.) I think 

 3'^ou will be pleased to associate with them and take part in their 

 deliberations, and as you grow up with the state I hope you will 

 never leave, and that you will all become enthusiastic members of 

 the State Horticultural Society. (Prolonged applause.) 



