186 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY . 
stated that Hon. W. R Taylor, Governor of the state, and Presi¬ 
dent of the State Agricultural Society, had been announced to 
make brief remarks on this occasion, but that he had that day ten¬ 
dered his resignation of the latter office to the Executive Board, 
then in session, and respectfully declined to appear before the con¬ 
vention, although urgently solicited by the officers to do so. 
J. S. Stickney, President of the Horticultural Society, was then 
introduced, and spoke as follows: 
Ladies and Gentlemen: The horticultural fraternity as 
.compared with the agricultural, is very small ; but like most 
small people we feel quite large, and are impressed with the idea 
that we are favored with more than an average of the luxurious 
and beautiful, that ours is the music and poetry of life, while the 
labors and cares fall more heavily upon others. With our conceit 
and egotism, however, we also are large hearted and generous. 
.So anxious are we that all should share our good things, that we 
keep constantly in the field a large force of missionaries , as we call 
them, but sometimes an unappreciative public call them rascally 
tree peddlers. These men are earnest and persistent, as doubtless 
many of you can testify, and if the choicest fruits and flowers do 
not abound, it cannot be their fault. Unfortunately, our homes 
and their surroundings are not such models of skillful planting 
and careful culture as they should be. This, however, is but 
another illustration that theory and practice may differ widely, 
and should be no excuse to him who would make the most of his 
rural home. 
Seriously; our interests are much the same. We all depend 
.upon mother earth for every good. We all need a better knowl¬ 
edge of the capabilities of the soil. To most fully dcvelope the 
resources of our farms, to make our homes most beautiful and 
attractive, to interest and engage the largest possible number in 
these things, is work for us all to do, and work that in the doing 
will increase our wealth and enlarge our minds and hearts. Let 
us each and every one seek to do this with all our might, mind 
and strength. 
Adjourned to 9 A. M. Thursday. 
