SUMMER MEETING. 47 



corn, beans, buckwheat and perhaps, small fruits. Profit, health and 

 comfort still rise from the garden and help vanquish "the world, the 

 flesh, and the devil." 



Toast — "The Horticulturist, — While observing the laws of 

 nature, he observes the laws of the land." Eesponse by Hon. 

 R. H. Moore, Lake City. 



Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: — I have no notes, not even a bank 

 note. * * * * The horticulturist is an observer of the laws of the land. 

 Abraham Lincoln usually fitted in a nice little story, and I am reminded of 

 the story of the physician who was asked how was the health of the com- 

 munity. He answered, "It is distressingly healthy." Though you are 

 horticulturists, you never "raise Cain," and so far as the criminal lawyers 

 are concerned, you never "butter any of his parsnips." Perhaps you oc- 

 casionally find a black sheep in the class to which I belong, but I be- 

 lieve you will have to search a long way before you will find a black sheep 

 among the horticulturists, yet you will occasionally find one who will 

 steal a row off from his neighbor's raspberry patcii. 



In this age in which we have a conflict of rights, it is pleasant to think 

 that we have a class in our community that will offset a good deal of the 

 evil that we annually import from abroad. 



Toast: "The Horticulturist, — The man who in nature's 

 garden works with God. " Responded to by Rev. E. B. Chase, 

 Lake City, Minn. 



Mr. Chairman, friends of horticulture:—! appreciate the honor of being 

 called upon to say a word before this wise and practical body who are to 

 be judged by the divine standard— "by their fruits ye shall know them." 



It is because the fruits of horticulture have grown to such perfection, 

 and been such a blessing in ameliorating the general condition of man, 

 that it is every way fitting for brethren who try to conserve the spiritual 

 welfare of man to plat a wreath with which to crown the brow of horti- 

 culture. 



Did you ever think the first of all recorded industries was that of the 

 horticulturist? 



The Creator, himself, we are told, was a gardener, and that part, I sup- 

 pose, has prompted the form of this toast. For if Kepler's thought be 

 true in the realm of science, "I think thy thoughts after thee, O, 

 God," it is equally true you think God's thoughts and work God's works. 

 For we read in a work that has many hints on horticulture, that is not, 

 however, quoted as authority on horticulture, that God planted a garden 

 eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed to dress 

 it and to keep it. 



I salute you then as the especially commissioned of God, you whom he 

 called to carry on the work of creation he began, Christ, himself, who 

 showed a most intimate knowledge of horticulture in the parable of the 

 vine and branches, who said, grub out all that bear not fruit, in the 

 miracle of cursing the barren flg trees, who showed his soul was near to 

 nature when he said, "consider the lilies of the field, "expressly declared the 

 "works that I do shall you do, and greater works than these shall ye do." 

 Let us wrest these words from their original application and see how the 

 horticulturist illustrates their truth in the line of his grand calling. 



