your body to this city, I could not refuse, and as Chief Executive, I 

 now extend to you a hearty welcome to the capital of our State, and I 

 do so, believing that you represent an interest that is of greater impor- 

 tance to the people of California than almost any other with which we 

 have to deal at the present time. I shall not make you a formal speech 

 this morning, having had no opportunity for preparation, and indeed I 

 feel somewhat as did Mark Twain, who said that the best extempora- 

 neous speeches he ever delivered were those where he had about two 

 weeks' notice. [Laughter.] I have had no notice, consequently feel the 

 need of preparation in addressing a body of such intelligence as is here 

 assembled. And yet could I talk to you a few moments with the con- 

 viction that what I say would not be published, I might perhaps tell 

 you some things that would prove of interest. 



Your Chairman has intimated that I am a horticulturist. I am a 

 horticulturist by proxy, and that is my trouble [laughter j; and I don't 

 mind telling you confidentially that I believe I can convince every one 

 of you in four minutes that I am a typical horticulturist of California. 

 I own about three hundred acres of as good fruit land, according to my 

 judgment, as is to be found in California. I have owned it for some 

 time. I purchased it subject to a mortgage, and when I was in Los 

 Angeles the other day, I had to go to the bank and borrow money to 

 pay interest. That is the first money I ever borrowed in my life, and if 

 you don't think I am a horticulturist now, then all I can say is, there 

 must be something wrong with my credentials. 



Seriously, my friends, I shall not assume to advise you as to the 

 important work before your convention. It seems to me that it would 

 be more appropriate for me to listen to your deliberations than to give 

 expression to my own thoughts upon an occasion like this. And I 

 can truthfully say to you, Mr. Chairman, that, notwithstanding the 

 depressing report I have given you of my own experience, I am not dis- 

 couraged as to the horticultural interest of California, for I am con- 

 vinced that the difficulties with which we are now contending are 

 merely temporary, and will give place to permanent prosperity. I 

 would rather own that land to-day than have the money invested with 

 any banker or political party in the country, and I will stay with.it. I 

 know that no one can take that land from me, or make it less produc- 

 tive; nor can any one keep my trees from growing and bearing the 

 finest fruit upon which the sun ever shone. 



We have some things to do here in California, as far as our horticult- 

 ural interests are concerned, and it is for you gentlemen to show us how 

 and by what methods we can obtain the best results from our labors. I 

 believe that you can determine that in large measure here, and by your 

 wise and intelligent counsels so direct the efforts of those engaged in this 

 industry that they may secure the greatest benefits from their invest- 

 ments, and make their occupation a credit to our State. I am not 

 unmindful of the fact that we in California are tempted to live upon 

 what the Creator has prepared for us, without making any personal 

 exertion ourselves. I have watched this tendency all over the State. 

 If you pass through the great agricultural sections of the East, you will 

 everywhere find the father of the family and every child at work, and 

 not an idle person connected with the farm. And yet with all this 

 effort, you will not find a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in the 

 United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, however fertile, that can 



