STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 315 



have been done both for and against horticultural progress during 

 the quarter of a century in which I have been a witness and par- 

 ticipator in this work. We have destroyed vast and valuable 

 forests and seriously disturbed the balance in natural forces; and 

 now we are beginning to plant new forests that this balance may 

 be restored. We have planted great orchards of varieties from 

 eastern fruit lists, and we have cut them down again because they 

 had no value. But we have experimented as to kinds and methods; 

 we have originated new varieties, and we have made great progress- 

 in this way. Tn fact, the pomological growth of the west has been 

 very wonderful. Twenty-five years ago a dozen bushels of straw- 

 berries daily was a fair supply for the Chicago market. Now entire 

 railwaj' trains are required to supply the quantity necessary to 

 furnish the dinner tables of that thrifty city. Fruit-growing and 

 gardening has assumed great commercial importance with us. It 

 is estimated that the amount of our orchard and garden produce 

 entering into commercial channels aggregates fifty million dollars 

 of value yearly. 



And this great interest is destined to expand indefinitely. With 

 the experience of years we are learning our limitations, and our 

 confidence in what we can be able to do is better based than it was 

 once. We have learned something of the difficulties to be over- 

 come, and something of how to overcome them. When I began in 

 the business, we did not take much account of difficulties. The 

 fruit grower was always an enthusiast. He was a happy man;, 

 and his wife was happy, and his neighbors were happy. There 

 were not any of them rich — in money — but they all had golden 

 harvests just a year or two ahead, and they enjoyed the situation 

 rather better than if they had the burdensome cash already in their 

 pockets. We all felt as good in those days, as a man in Jersey 

 now does who possesses a Kieffer pear tree ; or as a man does any- 

 where who owns stock in the Niagara Grape ! And that is just 

 good enough. Nature's hand was generous, and overflowing, and 

 perennial as — Mr. President, as Philadelphia hospitality, and that 

 has never been known to fail ! 



But as I said we have a good deal of experience — the other fel- 

 lows have got most of the money — and we recognize more clearly 

 the rugged environments of our business, and we are better pre- 

 pared to meet its diflficulties, and to overcome them. And we still 

 have courage to carry us forward — for hope springs eternal in the 

 bosom of your true horticulturist — and imagination may not 

 picture the grand results of our horticulture which the futur 



