170 



AT THE BANQUET 



(Mr. Fullerton: Sometimes they go to seed). 

 There is nothing like having a toastmaster that can help 

 you out. 



I was told a story a few days ago about a ship that was 

 sailing southward from New York. After it was out from 

 port some distance, a woman came to the captain and said: 

 "Captain, as we approach the equator, I wish you would call 

 my attention to it. I have never been down that far and I 

 hope you will point it out because I am very anxious to see 

 it." She was nervous about the matter and appeared fre- 

 quently before the captain to repeat her request. Finally the 

 captain, becoming weary of the annoyance, said : ''Now, lady, 

 if you will take this glass — it is just about time to see the 

 equator." So the lady took the glass, placed it before her 

 eyes, and the red-headed captain quickly pulled a hair from 

 his head and held it before the lens. "Yes," said the lady, 

 "I see it, and there is a camel walking over it." 



This idea of growing vegetables and developing strong 

 vegetable departments in our agricultural colleges is a splen- 

 did movement and deserves the support of the vegetable 

 growers of every state in the Union. It is not an imaginary 

 matter, for real departments actually exist. I want to speak 

 tonight on the relations between the grower and the college. 

 I shall discuss this matter, not from the standpoint of New 

 York, nor from the standpoint of Pennsylvania, but from the 

 standpoint of every state in the Union which is endeavoring 

 to develop the vegetable interests. 



What is the duty of the college? What is the duty of the 

 vegetable grower? As I understand it, the duty of the col- 

 lege is threefold. In the first place, the duty of the college 

 is to give such courses in vegetable gardening as the sons and 

 daughters of the state need. This means that we must have 

 short courses in vegetable gardening, so that the boy or girl 

 who cannot afford to go to college for two, three or four years 

 can get a good course in a few months. We must have 

 courses which will enable our sons and daughters to go to 

 college for one or two years and then return to the farm. 

 These students should be at least eighteen years of age be- 



