PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB, , 32T 



gre^Y in again. Was that not caused by something in the soil 

 detrimental to a new growth of the same sort of trees ? 



The Chairman said that, according to his experience, new 

 apple trees do not succeed upon spots where old trees have 

 decayed. 



COTTON ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE. 



Andrew S. Fuller gave the following valuable information upon 

 this question : 



It has often been said that there was but one barrier between 

 the people of Ireland and starvation, and that was the potato. 

 And it is but a few years since that the truth of this saying came 

 very near being verified. 



The destruction of the grape in some parts of Europe caused 

 much suffering among the poor of those countries. We find in 

 history hundreds of cases where the prosperity or downfall of a 

 nation can be traced to the success or failure of some humble 

 plant. 



Swift said that the man who succeeded in making two blades 

 of grass grow where only one had grown before, merited a great 

 name. Then, certainly, he who by introducing a new plant for 

 food adds one more barrier between a people and starvation, 

 should be honored above all others. The wise course of legisla- 

 tion which has been pursued by our government, along with that 

 diversity of climate and soil which we possess, has aided and 

 encouraged the people of this country to cultivate such a variety 

 of crops that we may almost defy famine, while some other coun- 

 tries would tremble with fear at the prospect of a partial failure 

 of a single variety of fruit or vegetable. It is this security 

 against want that gives us strength, and makes foreign nations 

 respect us. 



The famine and financial troubles of European countries, that 

 have been in many instances caused by the failure of some one 

 plant, should teach us this lesson : that whenever a plant has 

 become an important adjunct to the wealth and prosperity of a 

 country, it becomes also a dangerous element, inasmuch as its loss 

 would prove disastrous to those who depend upon its production 

 for their support. 



When an article has become thus important, there should be 

 no delay in extending its cultivation over as wide an area of the 

 country as possible, so that in case of its failing in one locality 



