•266 ANNUAL REPORT 



President Elliot. We have with us this afternoon a gentle- 

 man who is secretary of the Central Missouri Horticultural So- 

 ciety, Mr. C. C. Bell, of Booneville, whom I am pleased to intro- 

 duce. 



REMARKS OF MR. BELL. 



Mr. President and Members of the Horticultural Society: 



I don't know that I can say anything of interest at this time. 

 I am sure T did not come here to make a speech; I have rather 

 an apology to make for being here. I came uninvited and took 

 the liberty of walking right into the hall. I was not aware of 

 this meeting until a short time since and am here by accident to- 

 day. I was appointed by our society as a delegate to attend the 

 meeting of the Iowa State Horticultural Society at Des Moines, 

 which is now in session at that place. But a telegram called me here 

 to attend to some business matters. I want to say that I am not at 

 present engaged in the business of raising fruit, but of shipping 

 it. I ship a great many apples to Minneapolis and St. Paul an- 

 nually, as well as to other places in your state. When informed 

 by my friends this meeting was in session, I at once made tracks 

 for the hall, and that is how I happen to be here. I will not oc- 

 cupy your time at present further, but will try to be with you 

 this afternoon and to-morrow as much as possible, thanking you 

 kindly for the introduction. 



The ad interim, or district reports, of the vice presidents 

 being in order, the following were presented: 



REPORT FROM FIRST DISTRICT. 



By Vice President A. W. Bias, Rochester. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



We shipped quite a quantity of strawberries, raspberries and 

 blackberries, besides several hundred barrels of fine apples from 

 our district the past season, and as there is a reason for all things, 

 please to bear with me while I give one or two why we did not 

 produce more apples. You see we are a very busy, hard-working 

 people, and don't always stop to consider just where we are lo- 

 cated on the earth's surface, and many of us had got the impres- 

 sion somehow — can't say just how — that we were located some 



