PRESIDENTS ANNUAL ADDRESS, I9O3. I9 



obligations more perfectly, and of all these obligations there is no 

 one that more surely devolves upon us than that of encouraging ex- 

 perimental horticulture. We have lately been trying to meet this 

 obligation by the offer of larger premiums for seedlings of the more 

 prominent fruits, and it may be good policy to increase even the pres- 

 ent very attractive premiums and add perhaps an occasional medal 

 for productions or exhibits of special merit. Still there is nothing 

 that the experimenter so much enjoys as personal appreciation. This 

 demand we have tried to meet by giving the judges of seedlings the 

 duty of exhibiting and commenting upon the best exhibits and have 

 made this an important feature of one of our sessions. But the 

 larger share of the burden in this matter must of necessity fall 

 upon the individual members and requires them not only to give 

 their personal notice and encouragement to those whom they know 

 to be engaged in this work but to seek out and bring to light that 

 which is yet in hiding. A delightful duty this, the performance of 

 which gives the most hopeful promise of advancement in our art. 

 In this connection allow me to mention the very powerful instrument 

 that may be used to advance our interests that is found in the local 

 newspapers of our state. We have uniformly found these papers 

 glad to notice anything new or valuable that may be brought to 

 light in any branch of horticulture and, what is more, such notices 

 are read with interest by all the neighborhood. Thus object lessons, 

 right at home, are made to do a grand work among many whom 

 we would scarcely reach in any other way. 



In closing may I be permitted to offer some words of personal 

 counsel to my horticultural brethren, both in and out of the society, 

 with the hope that a very imperfect practice will not altogether de- 

 stroy the force of the precept. And, first of all, I would urge that 

 with true whole heartedness we honor our calling. There may be 

 higher vocations ; that will altogether depend upon how our own is 

 filled ; the honor is in the filling, not in the vocation. It is a very 

 special privilege of ours to live close to the ways of the Master of 

 Life. We can but notice the infinite regularity and orderliness of 

 all his work. Great results are accomplished, as only in this way 

 great things can be, by exact and perfect system, and as it is in the 

 spiritual sphere so it will prove in material affairs, that the measure 

 of our imitation will be the measure of our success. There has been 

 altogether too much looseness and confusion in our methods, our 

 fields have been weedy, our rows crooked, our orchards ill kept, our 

 boundaries slovenly. We have perhaps undertaken more than we 

 could well perform and thus injured our business as well as brought 

 our vocation into disrepute. Let us each by our example help to 



