488 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURATv SOCIETY. 



Evening SessioN; Tuesday, January 9, 1894. 



President Underwood called- the meeting to order at 8:00 o'clock, 

 and introduced the program in the following words: 



Ladies and Gentlemen: The first thing on our program is the 

 address of welcome by Mayor Wm. H. Eustis. of Minneapolis. Most 

 of you are familiar with his face and fame. I beg to introduce to 

 you the Ma3^or of Minneapolis: 



Mayor Wm. H. Eustis then stepped forward and in a few well 

 chosen words welcomed the society to the hospitalit}^ of the citj-, to 

 which Prof. W. W. Pendergast responded briefl}^ on the part of the 

 society in his visual happy vein. 



President Underwood then delivered his annual address as follows: 



Members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Societj^. — As in 

 the life of the farmer threshing succeeds the harvest, so it is with 

 us that after the year's experiences we come bringing our sheaves 

 to the threshing floor of the State Horticultural Societj^ where we 

 can winnow the results of the year and select the seed that we 

 shall plant in 1894. 



I congratulate the members of our fraternity that we have not 

 been directly affected by the financial and economic disturbances 

 that have oppressed the commercial and political atmosphere. 

 Politicians are clashing in combat over the silver question, the 

 tariff, and taxation. Our daily papers are burdened with accounts 

 of failures; a continual wail over the low price of wheat and tlie 

 stagnation of business, that has thrown thousands of men out of 

 einployment; of the charities bestowed upon them, the studied 

 schemes to give them work and food to keep them from starvation, 

 until we turn, faint and heart-sick by their perusal, to a good, fresh, 

 breezy horticultural journal that tells us only of our beloved trees 

 and plants, our fruits and flowers, that cheer and gladden, too. It 

 is amusing to hear some pessimistic persons pit3ang the condition 

 of the fanners and shouting abovit hard times, tlie low price of 

 wheat, hogs, cattle, etc., while the horticulturist sells his garden 

 truck, his fruits and flowers, and lives contented on what lie grows. 

 I am not one, however, who thinks the farmer a man to be pitied, 

 and men who do think so need not waste their sympathj^ Fi'om in- 

 timate relations with the farmers, I know thej^ are most prosperous, 

 happy, and independent people on earth. They raise on their own 

 farms nearly all they need. Their houses are warm and comfor- 

 table, their barns are commodious and well filled, and as thej' come 

 into intimate relation with our horticultural society and learn to 

 surround their homes with fruit and flowers, thej^ round out their 

 liv^es and make them like our Minnesota weather — a perpetual sun- 

 shine. It is amusing to the country- folk to listen to the xxtterance 

 of some of their city friends afflicted with enteralgia over the terrible 

 condition of their poor country relations. Well, they need not 

 worr3^ a bit. Not onlj^ are the farmers well fixed at home, but the 

 bank safes are well filled with their deposits. 



Last summer when confidence in banks was shaken, what caused 

 the bank failures and stringenc}^ in the money market? Why, the 

 poor farmer siniplj^ took his money liome with him. Where is it 

 nowV He is using it to fix up his home, and as his confidence is 

 restored he will go back to the bank again, and just so far as banks 

 will guarantee that he can have his monej" when wants it, just so 

 long will he leave it for them to use. I cannot see as there is an^- 

 less monej^ in the countrj' than there was a year ago. Even bank 

 reports make a good showing. Banks of !isi(),0(X) capital show deposits 

 of over $2(X),()(X), and an October report of one of the Miniieapolis 

 banks with $r)(X),00(J capital, show $7.">0,U()() deposits as against .$5."iO,0(X) 

 last May — and our well-to-do farmers and horticulturists are behind 



