76 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



1871 



Annnal Address of President Mathews, before 

 the Iowa State Horticultural Society, at Des 

 raolnes, January 10th, 1871. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Iowa State 

 HoKTiCTJLTURAL SOCIETY: In meeting together at 

 this Fifth Annual Anniversary of our State Horti- 

 cultural Society, as an organization for the promo- 

 tion of a Science which, according to the Bible 

 History, is coeval with the creation of the world, 

 and which in its onward march'from that period to 

 the present, has added so much to the health, wealth 

 and happiness of all civilized nations, it is fitting 

 that we, as a Society, and a portion of the people 

 and citizens of our honored and beloved Iowa, 

 should, first of all, express our unfeigned and de 

 vout thankfulness to Him who is the bountiful Dis- 

 penser and gracious Giver of all our mercies. 



During the year just gone He has blessed us with 

 an abundant supply of food tor man and beast. As 

 a State, we have been prosperous beyond our most 

 sanguine hopes. Our general improvements and 

 material wealth have been greatly enhanced. We 

 have as a people enjoyed unusually good health. 

 While other States and nations have been engaged 

 in deadly conflicts, and foreign countries, cities and 

 towns have been literally deluged in blood, and af- 

 flicted with all the horrors of fire and sword, we 

 have been blessed with uninterrupted peace and 

 tranquility, literally reposing "under our own vine 

 and fig tree, with none to molest or make us afraid." 

 Hence, with all the manifold blessings of a common 

 Providence surrounding, protecting and defending 

 us from harm, we would be derelict in our bounden 

 duty as good citizens and a Christian people, if we 

 did not on this occasion express our thanks for the 

 past, and implore the blessing and goodness of the 

 Divine Being in the future. 



The past year has not been one of a general good 

 fruit crop throughout the State, on account of inju- 

 ries resulting from the very sudden and severe 

 freeze in the latter part of October, 1869, (which 

 caused the death of many trees, and serious injury 

 to others, even among the hardiest varieties), as 

 well as from the unusual vicissitudes of the follow- 

 ing Spring. 



These injuries were experienced the most severe- 

 ly south of the middle portion of the State, where, 

 as a general thing, only a partial crop was gathered, 

 with the exception of grapes, which were abundant 

 and of a superior quality. 



In Northern Iowa the crops of all kinds were 

 generally good , so that, taking the entire State to- 

 gether, there was not much less than an average 

 production, and had it been equally distributed, I 

 believe would have furnished almost, if not quite, a 

 sufficient supply for home consumption. These 

 diminutions of the fruit crop occur in all portions 

 of the United States, and it is a gratification to be 



assured that in no locality are failures less frequent 

 than in the State of Iowa, and especially those re- 

 sulting from spring frosts. In this respect we are 

 exceedingly favored. 



After nearly sixteen years residence, I can state 

 that in Marion county, (and I believe I am safe in 

 saying the same for all the Southern counties), the 

 fruit crop has never been once entirely destroyed 

 by spring frosts, and only twice partially killed, 

 last spring being the worst of the two exceptions. 

 In most of the other States where fruits are grown 

 to any considerable extent, the loss of the crops by 

 frost, during or after the blooming season, is quite 

 frequent, and constitutes the chief cause of failures 

 or diminutions. 



The past season having been quite favorable for 

 the formation and full development of fruit buds, 

 we may very reasonably anticipate a fair yield for 

 the present year; and if so, necessarily a large ag- 

 gregate increase over any former one. 



In addition to other favorable indications calcu. 

 lated to inspire new courage and zeal among the 

 members of our Society in the work wherein we 

 have " put our hands to the plough," and therefore 

 should not "look back," I am happy to advert to 

 one which I conceive to be of vast import, and 

 which having been fairly inaugurated, will, if 

 backed up by our Society, and the friends of Hor- 

 ticulture and fruit culture generally, give to us our 

 true position, or proper status. 



By the friendship and wisdom of the State Board 

 of Trustees, their Committee on Organization, and 

 the President of the Iowa State Agricultural Col- 

 lege, we have now in that Institution not only a 

 Professor of Horticulture, (which according to the 

 true import of the term means gardening, and em- 

 braces garden-fruit culture,) but also a Professor of 

 Pomology, which comprises fruit-culture in its 

 most comprehensive sense. These are now taught 

 in separate and distinct branches in a Collegiate 

 Institution. Although for many years such a 

 step has been discussed and urged by some of our 

 best writers on Pomology and Horticulture, our 

 young, but progressive "Little Giant" State, has the 

 honor of leading off in a reform which, emanating 

 from a source it does, augurs gloriously for the fu- 

 ture, as Iowa never retrogrades or backs from any 

 laudable enterprise she undertakes. Her destiny is 

 onward and upward ; radically progressive in every 

 thing which has a tendency to promote the interests 

 and elevate the character of her people. Why, I 

 will ask, should not the rudiments and practice of 

 Pomology and Horticulture be thoroughly incul- 

 cated in the minds of our Youth equally with any 

 other Sciences ? Can we adopt more forcible argu- 

 ment to prove the goodness of Providence, than by 

 placing before young students the most healthy and 

 beautiful products of our soil, attended by their 

 various modes of culture, and thus guide them in a 



