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remember distinctly a few years ago, perliaps fifteen, I made 

 my lirst shipment of cliestnnts to New Yorlv. 1 sent them to a 

 commission merchant and I was surprised, although I knew that 

 it was early, to receive back in tAvo days' time returns of twenty- 

 four dollars per bushel for that shii>ment of chestnuts, with this 

 advice: "Ship chestnuts as fast as possible. Your shipment 

 was the first that came into the City of New York this fall." 

 I tried to get another shipment, but I could not get those burrs 

 open, and the last shipment I made to New York that same fall 

 brought me only |2.50 per bushel. I agree with the gentlemen 

 that have read these very interesting papers, so very interesting 

 to us, indeed; but so far as the spread of this disease is con- 

 cerned, I am on the side of tlui AN'oodpc.'cker, because the \Nood- 

 pecker has been my friend from my boyhood up, and I have 

 learned to love the mnsic of his beak. But let me tell you, gentle- 

 men, a few years ago I Avas out in Kansas, and on that wild 

 prairie, a heavily loaded team had passed over in the spring. It 

 was September when I was there, and across that nnbroken 

 prairie were two distinct tracks and sometimes, when the for- 

 ward wheel had not run exactly straight, there Avere four tracks; 

 and in every one of those tracks was a thrifty growth of sun- 

 floAvers. Can you tell me hoAv those sunfioAvers came there? If 

 y(m will tell me that, I Avill tell you Avhat si)reads the fungus on 

 yonr trees. It is nature. Y^ou knoAV Ave all of us love up-to-date 

 stories; Ave do not care about the old "chestnuts" so much. lUit 

 in this case the chestnut is very important and, in closing, I 

 Avant to speak a Avord of commendation for JMr. Williams and for 

 the men Avho so Avisely voted the appropriation of two hundred 

 and seventy-five thousand dollars to this Avork. I appreciate it. 

 Ever since I haA'e l)eeii a boy, it has beeu gruml)le, grumble, 

 grumble about appropriations and graft, and so on. New Y'ork 

 State can sympathize Avith us somewhat in the nuitler of Capi- 

 tol graft. You remember you got through wi(h it in Albany. >V(^ 

 got llii-ough ANitli it without as inany years of experience as you 

 did, but I remember \('vy well, after (he old Capitol burned here, 

 that five hundred and fifty tliousand dollars Avas approi)riated. 

 Why, that Avas a big sum; but you knoAv hoAV that "chestuut" 

 grew, and aa'c got out of it Avith thirteen millions. I am A'ery 



