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

 my first shipment of chestnuts to New York. I 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 shipment 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 the woodpecker, because the wood- 

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

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

 men, a few years ago I was 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 unbroken 

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

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

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

 flowers. Can you tell me how those sunflowers came there? If 

 you will tell me that, I will tell you what spreads the fungus on 

 3 our trees. It is nature. You know we all of us love up-to-date 

 stories; we do not care about the old "chestnuts" so much. But 

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

 want to speak a word of commendation for Mr. Williams and for 

 the men who so wisely voted the appropriation of two hundred 

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

 Ever since I have been a boy, it has been grumble, grumble, 

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

 Slate can sympathize witli us somewhat in the matter of Capi- 

 tol graft. Y r ou remember you got through with it in Albany. We 

 got Hi rough with it without as many years of experience as you 

 did, but I remember very well, after the old Capitol burned here, 

 that five hundred and fifty thousand dollars was appropriated. 

 Why, that was a big sum ; but you know how that "chestnut" 

 grew, and we got out of it with thirteen millions. I am very 



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