ANNUAL MEETING—1868. 
553 
lieve it till the trial is made. Another thing is the blight which has affected 
so many trees this fall. This may be a fungus, aad it may be the effect of an 
insect. We must try to settle that next year if possible, if the disease ap¬ 
pears. Whatever may be its cause, it would seem to be a difficult thing for 
us to control, because I notice it attacks the wild apple and so may hold its 
own in spite of us. The first step in any such case is to learn the cause, we 
can then judge of the means and prospect of cure. 
Now, Gentlemen, I wish to call your attention to the University, for what¬ 
ever I do for Agriculture or Horticulture in the State, I must do through that. 
A portion of ground has been set apart by the Regents for the use of this 
Society. As the Regents have no money to spare and I have made a little by 
farming in past days, I propose to present the land to you ready for planting. 
And if you will occupy that piece of ground and tell us what you would like 
to have doue, I promise all the aid in my power in bringing out results that 
can be relied upon, so that every experiment shall be real progress. The 
aid of the chemist, in the analysis of soils or manures, shall be at your service. 
We want as a basis all t'. at you know, and for experiment all that you 
“ guess to be true ” if Wisconsin people ever guess. lean fancy avast 
benefit to fiow from this to the University and to the State. * * 
But we ask you all, gentlemen, to send your sons to us with a love of farm¬ 
ing, not despising it because they have been taught by word and deed that it 
is a hard life and that there is another and a better way for them. * * * 
We intend to do all in our power to change ail this. We do not purpose 
olie to the student in order to change it because lying does not pay well, 
besides there is a prejudice against it among most people. We do not , 
intend to tell him that a man half educated is as well off as one fully educa¬ 
ted. But we do intend to give thorough instruction in Chemistry, Geology 
and Botany in their relations to Agriculture and Horticulture. * * 
Now, gentlemen, having caught you by the button hole here, I have whis¬ 
pered to you, so that all might hear, what I think your mission is in respect 
to farming. It is to give the element of beauty as well as utility to all agri¬ 
cultural pursuits, and especially to lend a helping hand in promoting Agricul¬ 
tural Education. Although I had no hand in sending out the bills, I trust 
these topics will not be without interest to the Horticulturists of Wiscon¬ 
sin. Horticulture is to common agricultural pursuits like the blossoms and 
golden fruit that delight the eye and gratify the taste. While in our fertile 
soil, the grains and most other farm products give a certain yield and their 
cultivation is well understood. Horticulture is in that delightful state where 
much is known, but more is to be learned. To raise the new varieties best 
fitted for the State, and to learn the best methods for their cultivation will 
furnish abundant and delightful employment for the Society till its youngest 
member is venerable with age. And our children will find abundant room 
for improvement when we have left for them our best instructions. This is a 
work worthy of man, to labor to beautify the earth, to produce new means of 
rational enjoyment and leave the world better than he found it. In this noble 
