president's annual address, 1903. 17 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS, 1903. 



CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. 



Brethren ol the Horticultural Society : — 



We are met again after a separation, measured by another cycle 

 of months and seasons, to complete the calendar of the horticultural 

 year by exchanging- the treasures of thought and experience that 

 we have gathered since last we met, and to renew and strengthen 

 those ties that to many of us have grown strong and dear through 

 many years of fellowship. While the ehcoes of a national thanks- 

 giving are still in the air, we horticulturists would prolong the sea- 

 son by rejoicing together that both our society and the beloved art 

 which it cherishes are still marching in the vanguard of progress. 

 As the result of the loyal work of our people all over the state our 

 society, already the largest by far of any on the continent, has in- 

 creased its membership to about the fifteen hundred mark. It is 

 not only growing but growing rapidly. It is not only growing in 

 stature, but we believe that it is also growing in influence and use- 

 fulness. Year by year it has got hold of more of the struggling 

 fruit growers, the enthusiastic experimentalists, the landscape ar- 

 tists and, more important than all, the earnest home makers all over 

 the state, bringing them together, encouraging their efforts and 

 making them acquainted with each other. To the fruit grower it 

 has suggested methods of overcoming the peculiar obstacles found in 

 our climate, so that he is beginning to compete in our markets with 

 the growers of the older states, — and even commercial orcharding 

 has become possible. The experimental horticulturist, with all his 

 theories and foibles, has been taken by the hand with special wel- 

 come as our particular protege. The landscape engineer and the im- 

 provement league have been asked to come and soften the harsh 

 outlines of commercialism and bring our people into better touch 

 with that art that most truly imitates the Creator. And more than 

 all others we have drawn to our counsels the earnest souls that 

 would plant the family tree, and shelter and enrich the fireside. We 

 have accomplished a great deal in the face of much adversity and 

 opposition, and we have an honest pride in the record we have made. 

 Indeed, we feel that the state has set the special seal of its approval 

 on our work by lately adding very materially to its appropriation for 

 our benefit — and by thus adding to our resources and ability to do 

 still greater good we have been in a very true sense promoted and 

 asked by the highest council in our state to go on and undertake 

 more and greater enterprises. 



And what shall they be? We are large and strong and grow- 

 ing. Our resources are tenfold what they were when the men whose 



