SERVICES IN BEHALF OF AGRICULTURE. 497 



SERVICES IN BEHALF OF AGRICULTURE. 



While working hard to improve his farm, Mr. Adams 

 never lost sight of the necessity of organization for the pro 

 motion of agriculture. At the age of twenty-two he was 

 elected President of the Allamakee County Agricultural So 

 ciety, one of the youngest incumbents on record in connec 

 tion with such an office ; and since that time he has been 

 connected almost constantly with the Society in some ca 

 pacity, either as Secretary, member of the Executive Com 

 mittee, or other responsible position. 



Mr. Adams was never a believer in the dogma that fruit 

 could not be successfully grown in the West. After the 

 terrible winter of 1856, he still had faith in the ultimate 

 success of fruit culture. In spite of the discouragements of 

 climate, and the still more discouraging advice of friends, 

 he gave much of his time and energies to this engaging pur 

 suit. It is not strange, therefore, that Mr. Adams now 

 looks back with some pride to his efforts in this direction, 

 as one of the useful labors of his life. 



At the age of thirty-six, Mr. Adams was chosen Secretary 

 of the Iowa Horticultural Society, in a manner highly com 

 plimentary to himself, although other business prevented his 

 attendance at that session of the Society. This position he 

 held until the winter of 1872-3, when his other official duties 

 made it necessary that he should decline a re-election. That 

 the office was worthily bestowed and honorably gained is 

 evidenced by the fact that, in 1871, Mr. Adams exhibited at 

 the Iowa State Fair one hundred varieties of apples of his 

 own growth, of such uniform beauty and excellence as to 

 receive the highest award of the Society. This was in the 

 same year that his State received so high commendations at 

 the exhibition before the American Pomological Society. 



