NINETEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 99 



ferry-boat to take me across the river. It was raining awful- 

 ly hard that day. Fortunately, I had the fashion of wearing 

 my top boots. I found the ferry, and the fellow that ran 

 it, and he got me across the river, or, at least, part way 

 across. When we got within about a hundred yards of the 

 other side, he said that he could not go any further, and that 

 we would have to walk. Well, we got ashore somehow, and 

 then I started to find out if there was a hotel, for I was cold 

 and wet. They said there was one. I walked about two miles 

 to find the hotel, and then, upon inquiring for it, they told me 

 there had been one in that town, but that Glastonbury had 

 voted "dry" and so they did not have any there. I was wet 

 and cold and hungry. I never drank a drop of liquor in my 

 life, but I really would have liked it if I could have gone 

 somewhere to get warm. I finally found the place. Later 

 on in life I heard more about Connecticut, but at that time 

 T thought it was all J. H. Hale. (Laughter). I thought that 

 was all there was of it. 



Last year I had an invitation from your President to 

 come down and participate in your banquet. Just at that 

 time, although I expected to come and have a big feed with 

 you people, I was taken with the grippe, and so did not get 

 here. But I am here to-night, and am happy to greet you 

 people, and to extend to you the greetings of New Jersey. 

 I am glad to see all this beautiful fruit which you have had 

 on exhibition, and all the advancement that you are making 

 in horticulture. I rejoice with you in all the wonderful 

 things that we have seen and heard at these meetings, and f 

 thank you from the bottom of my heart for the invitation to 

 come and join you. When I go back to New Jersey, I am 

 going to tell them what you are doing here, and you want to 

 look out, for, if you do not, in a year or two New Jersey will 

 beat you all to pieces. (Applause). 



The Toastmaster: You have all heard of New Hamp- 

 shire. We have heard of its beauty, and have seen many 

 pictures of its scenery. Some of us have enjoyed the magni- 



