428 SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY. 



and we did so. I felt it the greatest honor ever conferred on 

 me to be asked to come to this city and speak at his memorial 

 services of him as a friend of the farmers and of your society. 

 I really felt inadequate for the task but responded to the best of 

 my ability. This incident to me is one of my most cherished 

 recollections. 



I must speak of our dear Brother Harrison. I recollect say- 

 ing that I intended to attend your meetings as long as he did, he 

 being one year older than I am, but I begin to think he will tire 

 me out. In talking to the students last year I recollect that ho 

 said that while I came they did not need any circus or vaudeville 

 show. We like to see and hear him. When in language that 

 none of us can imitate he appeals to the throne of Grace for help 

 and blessings on this society, it makes one feel that he or she 

 is near to the Portals of the Heavenly Kingdom. May God bless 

 his efforts. 



Now I must close without speaking in detail of a number 

 of your members that I enjoyed associating with in days gone 

 by. There was John Cummings, who was born the same year 

 I was and only twenty miles from where I first saw the light. 

 Pleasant visits with him, C. G. Patten and with Professor Wal- 

 dron, Professor Hansen, John H. Stevens, Robertson, Mackin- 

 tosh, McGuire, Washburn, Porter, Cady, Haecker, Mayne, Wood 

 and Green are still fresh in my menory. The last named was the 

 first to buy ten copies of the book I wrote to give to his friends. 



I must in closing mention A. W. Sias and J. T. Grimes. As 

 I recollect, they were the pioneers who first called my attention 

 to the Virginia crab as a stock for successful top grafting, owing 

 to its vigorous growth. 



I will now close by giving you a thrilling incident in the 

 life of my friend Peter Peffer. He came with his wife from 

 Germany some sixty years ago and settled near Waukesha, Wis. 

 He was large and strong and a great horticulturist. At first he 

 dug and cleaned wells. While cleaning one twenty feet deep, 

 walled up with large, round, hard-head stones, he felt the bot- 

 tom stone giving away. He straightened up, and over his shoul- 

 ders they crowded together and formed an arch, settling so 

 much that those at the top thought he was crushed by the tons 

 of stone. They at once sent a boy six miles for his wife. She 

 came and saw the crowd standing around doing nothing. She 

 said: "Where is Peter?" A man said, "He is dead in the bottom 

 of this well." She said, "You must dig him out, he can't stay 

 there." Then they got tools and went at it. They changed 

 crews and went down fast. All at once they heard his voice. It 

 scared them, and they ran from the job, but she called on new 

 ones and set them at work. When near him he called to be care- 

 ful, he was bracing up. Soon they had his head and shoulders un- 



