FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
•oming difficulties that we become strong 
and great, both as individuals and as a 
nation. We must always expect them and 
be ready to meet them. We have them 
now. We have just suffered one of the 
greatest droughts that ever visited the 
state of Florida, and we have suffered 
a great loss, but we are going right on 
just the same. We propose to do more 
than we have done in the past, and to 
bring our land up to the highest point 
of production. 
That brings up, perhaps, the problemi 
of irrigation, not only in orange culture, 
but in trucking. Those of us who have 
been through the West and know what 
irrigation has done for those states, be¬ 
lieve that there is a great future for Flor¬ 
ida. I think that we will be able to solve 
this great problem. We also have to 
consider the problem of getting our fruit 
and vegetables to market. These are 
some of the problems that I believe the 
Association can take up and can solve. 
I think we can take them up and have a 
hearing. Let us see to it that our agri¬ 
cultural schools and our experiment sta¬ 
tions are given an opportunity to work 
along the right lines. Let us see that our 
Legislature makes an appropriation that 
shall enable us to make our work of ten¬ 
fold more value than what we have al¬ 
ready accomplished. Let us put it up 
to the state to see that our agricultural 
schools and our experiment stations are 
supplied with the proper materials and 
opportunities to make their work of the 
greatest value. Let these come in closer 
contact with the farmer; let farmers’ in¬ 
stitutes be held everywhere, and be sup¬ 
plied with the paraphernalia to go on with 
these experiments which will enable the 
farmer tO' compete with all his enemies 
of heat and cold, insects and drought, 
These are some of the problems that come 
to the farmer or horticulturist, and I 
think this Association can, and should, 
and will, help him to solve them. 
Now, in the name of, and in behalf of 
the Pinellas Orange Growers’ Association 
and of the Board of Trade of the City 
of St. Petersburg, I extend to you all a 
most hearty welcome. 
RESPONSE. 
Df* George Ketft Pierson* 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
We come among you, not as strang¬ 
ers, but as friends. Permit me to say 
that it was a happy moment in my 
existence when, at last year’s meeting, 
I cast my ballot with the great major¬ 
ity to hold this year’s annual meeting 
in this place. We have many valuable 
members in St. Petersburg and vicin¬ 
ity; indeed, all over South Florida. 
They are valuable because of the untir¬ 
ing interest that is taken by them in 
the business of the Society, its increase 
of membership, its larger attendance at 
annual meetings, and also in the gen¬ 
eral welfare. 
These are strenuous times, when one 
is judged by what he can do and by 
