176 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
the Yellowstone Park would practically shut off these railroads 
and the developments which would naturally grow from them. 
Another point which he emphasizes quite forcibly, is the fact 
that the present laws are entirely inadequate to secure what 
the Forestry Association is seeking to secure. I will say right 
here that in_the preamble of his speech he stated, that with 
certain modifications, the chamber of commerce, of Duluth, 
would heartily join with us in securing what we desire. He 
also threw out the hint that we are working in the interest of 
the pine ring. We met that suggestion by placing Mr. Thomp- 
son on the committee of the Forestry Association and asking 
him to present at our meeting next Monday, a plan that might 
meet with the approval of the chamber of commerce of 
Duluth. For my part, I am willing to concede anything that 
will accommodate Duluth, that we can concede without destroy- 
ing our forest reserve. ‘Those were the main points of his op- 
position, and I am greatly in hopes that we may meet with some 
plan that will be more satisfactory, and that will do away with 
a large part of this opposition. 
Mr. Barrett: Now, Mr. Chairman, we want to be exceeding- 
ly careful, for this society has great influente in Minnesota. 
This society has worked and sacrificed up to a point of positive 
infiuence. This society is stronger than the Forestry Associa- 
tion, and whatever we do let us do it with the utmost prudence 
so that we won't be obliged to take any back steps. I would 
not want anything to appear in any statement or resolution to 
the public that contained anything technical orambiguous. Let 
everything be simple and plain, indicating that we look for the 
general interests of the state. 
Mr. Harris: I did not make any preparations to take any 
part in the discussion of forestry, but it is certainly a very 
important question to us who are striving to follow horticulture 
for a living. The extract he made from my private letter to 
him expresses my views on the forestry situation. There are 
two elements, and both of them must exist and are essential . 
to successful fruit culture, and to many branches of agriculture 
also. These are plenty of water and plenty of forests. Now if 
we could have a large basin of water located in that region that 
was known as the Great American Desert when some of we 
older men were boys, this vast extent of water would charge 
the winds with moisture as they came from the mountains, and 
when they reached us in Minnesota they would supply the 
dews and rains that we need, and we could get along with very 
