ee) 
OLD IDEAS IN A NEW DRESS. 
J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. 
Mr. President: Unfortunately, I did not see the program of 
this meeting until last evening, andI did not know what pap- 
ers were in it. I do not know whether what I have written 
will fit the subject or not. I know anew dress on the old ideas 
will not fit very well, but I hope the horticulturists of Minne- 
sota will make all due allowance for an old fogy who dates 
way back in the past ages, and the reason they ought to make 
this allowance is because you live in an age of progression in 
which these things are marching on with such gigantic strides 
that the old fogies cannot catch on and are still hanging in the 
rear with their old ideas. The first reference you find of me 
is in ‘‘Wedgwood’s Treatise on Cider,” several hundred years 
ago, where you will find an account of one Harris who did a 
wonderful thing in the planting of some apple trees, and what 
he did is still a benefit tu this day. Of course, you must make 
some allowance, but you must bear in mind that I believe 
pretty much all I have tosay, and I may put a new dress on 
some things I have to say. (Applause.) 
The title of the subject given me does not quite fit what I expected 
to say upon this occasion, and, doubtless, some things I shall have 
to say may not quite harmonize with your theories upon the sub- 
ject, but I trust you will make due allowance for what you may con- 
sider to be my erroneous ideas and give me credit for coming 
honestly by them. I have now devoted more than half a century to 
the observation, research, experiment and study of practical horticul- 
ture, and have for nearly forty years by precept and example and 
through the press and horticultural societies, by exhibits at fairs 
and labors in farmers institutes, tried earnestly to point the way to 
success and persuade the people of the Northwest to plant fruit 
trees and care for them for the benefit of the present and future gen- 
erations, and very generally advocated “old ideas” that have deep 
and broad foundations laid in the experience of past ages. 
It was an old idea of our forefathers that a tree to be transplanted 
should be carefully dug with as nearly as possible all its roots 
