10 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
plants under our own peculiar, and par¬ 
don me for saying it, exacting conditions. 
Even though this training might be se¬ 
cured elsewhere, it would still have to 
be had in an agricultural school and such 
schools are almost without exception 
state-supported schools. We therefore 
place ourselves in the position of beggars, 
asking other states to do for our youth 
what we will not do for them ourselves. 
Now, what of our important state 
schools? No institution in this country 
ever had a more efficient and patriotic 
corps of teachers than is to be found at 
our State University at this time. But ef¬ 
ficiency, loyalty, and patriotism, though 
they may carry teachers far, are not all. 
These men lack space; they lack equip¬ 
ment; they are too few in numbers for 
their task; they are overworked to the 
breaking point, and woefully underpaid. 
Nothing but deep and abiding interest in 
their work, their belief in their mission 
and their hope in the future keeps them at 
it. What has been said of the force at 
our own University, is true in like meas¬ 
ure of the instruction personnel of our 
State College for Women. In scholar¬ 
ship, in quality of educational work, there 
are no institutions in America that rank 
higher than these. But they are unable 
to adequately meet the demands made 
upon them and ultimately this teaching 
force, an asset of first importance to our 
State, must have relief, or go elsewhere. 
The question plainly put, is, shall we 
maintain these institutions on their pre¬ 
sent plane, give them sufficient funds to 
pay the teaching force a living wage and 
enable these schools to meet the needs of 
the youth of the State; or shall we allow 
them to degenerate into second rate 
schools and turn from their doors those 
seeking preparation for their life work in 
building a greater Florida. Florida can 
answer this question only one way, and 
with your help, in the right way. Flor¬ 
ida has at no time a more vital problem 
to solve, and none for which a correct 
solution is of so much importance in the 
development of our commonwealth. 
Now the correct solution of these ques¬ 
tions means increased taxation. Increases 
or readjustments in taxation are not 
viewed with popular favor. Taxes are 
always regarded as a burden. But here 
is a situation where the welfare of our 
children is at stake, where the develop¬ 
ment of our State along broad lines is in 
question. We must therefore take a dif¬ 
ferent view of the whole matter. Our 
forests may be removed, our mineral re¬ 
sources may be depleted, but so long as 
Florida’s soil and Florida’s incomparable 
climate last so long will the products of 
our fields be numbered first among Flor¬ 
ida’s resources. We can hope to main¬ 
tain our position only with the help and 
leadership of trained men. 
The financial readjustments through 
which we have been and are passing, have 
been felt in Florida, of course. While 
some people are pessimistic over present 
conditions, yet from a horticultural point 
of view, it may help us to remember that 
our State, our Florida is not in such con¬ 
dition as it was in the spring of 1895. 
Profits may have disappeared, during the 
present season, but the principal still re¬ 
mains; whereas in the spring of 1895 
both principal or investment and profit 
had been wiped out. Again if we com- 
