480 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The next number on the program was a report on evergreens, 
by Mr. E. H.S. Dartt, of Owatonna. (See index.) 
President Underwood: I take pleasure in introducing Mr, 
A. J. Phillips, Secretary of the Wisconsin State Horticultural 
society. 
Mr. A. J. Philips (Wisconsin): Mr. President, Ladies and Gentle- 
men: WhenIcame here yesterday I did not occupy any time, for 
the reason that I did not know just what our president had said when 
he came to the meeting. Iam glad to have the chance to meet with 
you here at Lake City, and it brings back to my memory the time 
when I first became engaged in horticulture. Mr. Jewell, who foun- 
ded this interest here, onthe way home from Chicago remained with 
me two nights, and it was largely owing to the enthusiasm he had 
for growing fruits in the Northwest that I engaged init. I bought 
my first hundred Wealthy apple trees of him, and when he sent them 
to me he also sent me a few Scotch pines, and two of them are pro- 
bably as high a monument to Mr. Jewell’s memory as any that could 
be reared, as they are on top of a bluff 250 feet high. That fact has 
always carried me back to pleasant recollections of horticulture. 
I want to say a word in regard to our Wisconsin society. This has 
been one of the saddest years our state society has ever experienced. 
Our president, who was our president for fifteen years, and who has 
often met with you, was an unselfish man,a grand man, but early in 
February we received notice that J. M. Smith was dead. Shortly 
after the close of our institute in Menominee, Mr. Cook, who was to 
have a paper on planting this year,one of the most enthusiastic 
members of our society, was thrown from his buggy two weeks ago 
and died ina few days. In thesummer, about the month of July, we 
lost another good man, Mr. Peffer. His death was not only a loss to 
Wisconsin, it was a loss to Minnesota, it wasaloss to our Northwest- 
ern states, it was a national loss. Mr. Peffer was a man whose coun- 
sels we were glad to hear and to respect. Mr. Saunders told me that 
that old Dutchman knew more than any maneverread. I have often 
wondered when I have heard him, and I have often wondered when 
I have been at his house, who we had in Wisconsin that could take 
his place. Late in the fall, in November, welost another good man; 
Mr. Wilcox, of La Crosse. If there was ever an honest nurseryman 
in the East or theWest,it was Mr. Wilcox; and when you pass through 
Trempeleau, although you may not see any tombstone rear its 
proud shaft heavenward, you may see evergreens growing which he 
gave to the people, and which area grander memorial to him than 
any monument we could erect. 
We are going to have a meeting commencing on the 5th of Feb’y, 
and we invite you all to come down. We will try to take care of you 
and make it interesting for you, and in behalf of our society and of 
our president, who is here, I want to thank you asa society, and to 
thank the citizens of Lake City for the way we have been used since 
we have been here. We want adelegate from your society, andIlam 
anxious to know who heis before we go away. We want to get some 
one, if we have to pay his board and take care ofhim. We want to 
