456 
STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
real.ze the greatness and importance of our calling ; failing to 
do our duty even as far as we fully understand it; and failing 
to get the greenbacks, which we so richly earn and deserve. 
The wants of a million farmers, in the way of agricultural 
machinery, are promptly supplied by enterprising mechanics, 
who call to their aid the necessary capital, employ the neces¬ 
sary labor, and so systematize both manufacture and sales as to 
benefit the capitalist, the laborer, and'the farmer, and secure 
liberal profits for themselves. Why should the call for trees 
be less promptly met ? Think, for a moment, of the homes 
in city, village and country, to be supplied with ornament, 
shade and fruit. Think of the extensive orchard-planting for 
commercial purposes; of the long lines for wind-breaks and 
the broad plantations for timber; include in this view, Wis¬ 
consin, Minnesota and northern Iowa, which is the ground 
particularly accessible to us. Do we fully estimate the 
amount of stock that might and should be planted in the next 
five years ? Do we realize how much the amount actually to 
be planted depends upon the manner in which we keep the 
subject before the f)eople? And can we imagine where all 
this stock is to come from ? 
If it is brought one or two thousand miles to be sold and 
planted here, we suffer a loss of a fair profit on the growth and 
sale of so much stock; and we allow the people, whom it is 
our duty to supply, to be taxed with freight, agents’ expenses, 
etc., and most probably to be so swindled in quality, as to be, 
at the end of a year’s effort, no further advanced than at the 
beginning. Is this what the country has a right to expect of 
us? Do the mechanics, merchants, and professional men of 
the country respond as feebly to the calls made upon them ? 
In short, do we appreciate the greatness of our work ? 
That there is a general interest throughout the country on 
the subject of fruit and trees, we cannot doubt. Let a man 
talk ‘‘trees,” almosj anywhere, and though his talk is imprac¬ 
ticable and absurd, he has attentive listeners and some be¬ 
lievers. 
Now, whether worthily or otherwise, we stand before the 
