FLORIDA state HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
II4 
Club and elected Mr. A. Roberts, Presi¬ 
dent,. Mrs. C. F. Gardner, Secretary, and 
Mr. Stephen Soar, Treasurer. 
Monthlv meetino-s have been held and 
j 
the officers proven so satisf actory that they 
have been annually re-elected; while the 
membership has increased from 21 to 68, 
w*ith an average attendance of 30. 
The distingaiishing feature of this club 
is its combination of home and social in¬ 
fluences with the practical and scientific 
discussion of the problems incident to ag¬ 
ricultural life. 
The ladies and children contribute most 
eft'ectively to the general entertainment as 
evidenced by Master Butts, a sturdy 3- 
year-old, who at our last meeting made 
a happy hit of “My Country ’Tis of Thee” 
and “I belong to the Band, boom ! boom I” 
The social relations are further pro¬ 
moted by meeting in turn at the homes of 
members, each family bringing a basket 
of lunch, which is assembled by the hos¬ 
tess and spread in a home brewed dinner, 
which is thoroughly discussed before the 
purely practical and scientific subjects are 
introduced. 
“Weir’, I hear you ask, “What has 
• been accomplished?” I answer,—First, a 
method has been found tO' bind together 
in a coherent group those interested in 
the products of the soil so that their indi¬ 
vidual development reacts one upon the 
other, and the experience of the unit mem¬ 
ber becomes the property and knowledge 
of all. 
Second, the animated discussions and 
interchanges of practical experience have 
already developed a strength and confi¬ 
dence which will be efficient in originating 
and shaping the new projects of irrigation 
and culture, which must be perfected be¬ 
fore general and liberal results can be ob¬ 
tained by Florida farmers. 
Third, a power has been organized and 
a spirit developed which enables the farm¬ 
er to get into closer touch with other or¬ 
ganized workers and thinkers; and the 
practical and personal assistance already 
accorded us by members of the Agricul¬ 
tural Station has had a marked influence 
in awakening the interest and encourag¬ 
ing perseverence in the work. I believe 
that the ensuing three years will witness 
an unprecedented development in Pasco 
county. 
It is eminently proper, in this connec¬ 
tion, to note the intelligent, unwearying 
and genial spirit of its President, Mr. A. 
Roberts, who from its inception to the 
present moment has studied its interests 
and presided over its deliberations. 
This brief sketch of the origin and poli¬ 
cy of the club does not contemplate details 
of the practical work done or a view of 
the scientific and technical grounds cov¬ 
ered. 
I assume that the office of presenting it 
has come to me because of my very ear¬ 
nest interest in all such matters rather 
than any practical knowledge or exper¬ 
ience of the subjects involved; and there¬ 
fore, in bringing to you this greeting from 
the Pasadena Farmers’ Club I have at 
once the honor and pleasure of introduc¬ 
ing to you my associate delegates,—gen¬ 
tlemen who are not unknown to you and 
who, by long residence and practical ex¬ 
perience, are eminently qualified to in¬ 
form you upon every point of interest con¬ 
cerning agricultural and horticultural mat¬ 
ters in Pasco county: 
Dr. J. F. Corrigan, St. Leo; W. J. Ells¬ 
worth, Jessamine; J. C. Carter, Dade 
City; J. W. Hudson, Dade City. 
I regret my inability to be present in 
person. 
