112 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ness man. Excuse me for this criticism, but I felt that I 

 ought to say that much. 



Mr. Lee: I said the business men of the city. If I 

 made a blunder, I beg your pardon, but I meant to convey 

 the impression that the paper said the farmers attending that 

 convention appeared just as well as the business men of the 

 city. That is the statement I intended to make. I have had 

 the experience for many years, and I will say that it is one 

 of the toughest business propositions that a man ever ran 

 up against to run a farm successfully. It takes more ability 

 to run a farm in the state of Connecticut successfully than it 

 does an ordinary business. 



President Gold: Nearly fifty years ago, or a little less, 

 the state of Connecticut organized the State Board of Agri- 

 cuture. There were but one or two other states in the Union 

 that had such an organization. To-night we have with us 

 the Secretary of the Connecticut State Board of Agriculture, 

 Mr. I. C. Fanton of Westport. We will ask him to say a 

 few words. 



Mr. Fanton : Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 

 It is not fitting that I should take but a moment of your 

 time. I could not make a long speech, and I would not if I 

 could, especially at this time. You have had many pleasing 

 stories told you, and perhaps it might not be out of place at 

 this time to refer to some things that will not, perhaps, make 

 you smile. I am always in the habit of asking myself ques- 

 tions. Some of them I cannot answer ; some I can. While 

 sitting here to-night I have been asking myself the question, — 

 where was the starting point of this Pomological Society 

 meeting, or of this Connecticut Pomo^gical Society? All 

 things have their beginnings. Where was the beginning of 

 this ? I think you will agree with me that it was over yon- 

 der on the hills of Litchfield county, on a farm called Cream 

 Hill, the home of that great educator, T. S. Gold, — there was 

 the beyinnine of this Pomological Society. It was due in 



