ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 127 



sailed from Queenstown. not far from the city of Cork, the streets and 

 docks were lined with flower venders, all carrying beautiful flowers and 

 especially the little shamrock, which was the prevailing favorite there. 



I remember an eloquent old Irish woman who followed us up the street 

 saying, "Buy, buy," as she held out some flowers and shamrock. I re- 

 member when I said to her, "But, my good woman, I have no change 

 left,"— having changed my English money, as I was about leaving the 

 countrj^ "I have not a single English penny;" she said, "Well, then, an 

 American cent will do just as well;" but I said, "I haven't got an Ameri- 

 can cent." And then with the eloquence which I believe must have been 

 born in the Irish from their close communion with the beautiful flowers 

 of their native land, she said, "Well, never mind," aod pushing them into 

 my hand, "take them for your good looks." (Applause and laughter.) 



President Underwood: I will call upon Col. C. Mc C. Reeve 

 to speak upon "Minnesota Horticulture at the World's Fair." 



Col. Reeve: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, — I feel a good deal 

 like the small boy who, when he was told it was time to go to school by 

 his mother, said, "Well, ma, I am sick." "Very well, George, you go 

 up stairs, and I will bring you up some medicine." "Well," he says, "I 

 ain't sick enough to take medicine, but I am sick enough to stay at home 

 from school." (Laughter.) Now, I am not sick enough to be away from this 

 pleasant gathering this evening, but I feel altogether too sick to say any- 

 thing. (Laughter). However, as this matter of horticulture at the World's 

 Fair seems to have been thrown at me, and as I am extremely anxious to 

 square myself with this society, I want to tell j'ou briefly some of the 

 obstacles that have been thrown in our way in attempting to keep even 

 the very moderate appropriation that has been made for your society at 

 the coming exposition. 



When we began to discuss the different industries among which this 

 appropriation should be divided, somebody said, "Well there is the State 

 Horticultural Society, I don't suppose they will need very much, for this 

 is not a fruit-growing state, and we cannot compare in our fruit with 

 other states." 



I didn't know very much about it, I am sorry to confess, but I had 

 been down to your president's gardens one summer, when our regiment 

 was encamped there, and I distinctly remembered eating so many raspber- 

 ries that it was with difficulty they could get me back to camp in the 

 ambulance. (Laughter.) I believe there are some three thousand varie- 

 ties of raspberries and strawberries raised in the state. (Laughter.) 



I said, "You are mistaken about this matter. I am credibly informed 

 that there are at least seven hundred varieties of apples raised in this 

 state". (Laughter.) The president said, "That is very remarkable. 

 (Laughter). If this industry has grown to such proportions in the state, 

 and we are really such a fruit-growing state, I think it is very proper 

 that we should have a large appropriation for that purpose." 



Starting on that line, we rather talked these other people down, that 

 didn't know much about apples and berries, and succeeded in getting 

 what we have for you, and I ai^sure you I will use my best efforts to 

 increase this to such a figure as may successfully enable you to make a 

 display, which I know you can make. (Applause.) 



