FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
29 
but looking ahead it seems a long, long 
time. 
If anyone had told me when I first 
came here that I would stand on this 
rostrum at this time, I would have 
thought that they wehe crazy, because 
when I first came here I concluded I 
would stay just long enough to get away, 
but the longer I stayed the better I liked 
it. After I stayed three years I left, and 
shook the dust off my feet, but it was 
only three months before I came back 
and shook it on again. 
I am glad to be here and welcome the 
Horticultural Society to my home town, 
and I want to say to the people of De- 
Land that I am proud of you for the re¬ 
ception you have given us. As I said 
before, I want to repeat, I am proud of 
the Horticultural Society, and I am 
proud of DeLand and the people in it. 
(Applause.) 
