78 ANNUA I. REPORT 



I can but wish that your Society coukl hold its annual meeting 

 in our beautiful valley of Escondido, which seems to me to be 

 almost a paradise for the horticulturist, and I believe the most 

 perfect climate in the world. As much as I had heard about 

 this favored section, I was not prepared to find so perfect a cli- 

 mate, or such a profusion of fruits and flowers as are grown by, 

 what seems to me, the most careless culture. I can but wish that 

 those who have spent the best portion of their lives in striving 

 to produce the fruits of a temperate climate in that cold and 

 frozen north, might spend the remainder of their days in this 

 land of sunshine, fruits and flowers. 



Very truly yours, 



E. DeBell. 



Mr. Pearse. Mr. President, those who want to may go to 

 California, but as far as I am concerned I wall say that I am per- 

 fectly well satisfied that if I will use the intelligence the Al- 

 mighty has given me, I can raise fruit here without going there^ 

 or anywhere else. 



Mr. Sias. I am acquainted with Mr. DeBell. He was presi- 

 dent of the Dakota Horticultural Society and at the head of that 

 society for some years. During that time he tried to secure ^n 

 appropriation of $2,000 to carry on the work of that society, and 

 if he had succeeded he might have staid there and the society 

 would have succeeded. I consider his removal to California a 

 great loss to Dakota. 



Mr. Smith. The society is getting along all right yet without 

 him. 



Mr. Sias. That may be, but they won't succeed any length of 

 time without they can get an appropriation. 



Mr. Harris. I don't know about that; our own Society lived 

 a good many years without an appropriation and we did very good 

 work as a horticultural society. Of course it is always one of 

 the most enjoyable seasons of our lives to get up here and have 

 the sympathy of kind friends who receive us into their elegant 

 homes, and to enjoy eating the bread and butter of the citizens 

 of Minneapolis, and to have their good things placed at our^dis- 

 posal. (Laughter.) 



