Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-01-18
ADDRESS
OF President Mathews beftre
tae sixth Annual Session "a
the iowa state Horticulture
al society. at Des Mofnes.
January IS, 1872.

happy 10 greet you once more, az ne
REPRESENTATIVES OF the fruit-growng
interests OF our prosperous and happy
Iowa. 1t i pleasure 10 know and
feel that in all portions of our diver
SIZED soil and climate, 30 many ire
interesting themselves in the culture
OF fruits.
That the manifestations in this Ii
rection are upona sound and healthy
increase there is no doubt; nor isit
now denied by any, that, take or
State altogether, we are equal viii
most others in the staple pOmoiogieil
productions, the peach only excepted;
and that in beauty, size and fiavG,
our apples areinferior to none in airy
portion Of the United States or els
where. This can hardly be doubted
By the most skeptical; for at two, OFT
OF the three last meetings Of TIE
American Pathological Society, we
were awarded premiums for The
largest and best collection.
it is.true that we have come up p
this point through great tribulatior.
1t seems to me when | look back
upon the many and formidable OF
stacles and discouragements our fruit
growers have had to contend witt,
that nothing short of the character
istic perseverance and pluck Of The
Iowa people would ever have
brought them through the manifold
besetmentS and drawbacks Of incip-
ent culture, and elevated them to the
proud position they now occupy.
They are veterans iii the highest
sense of the term, and while they
claim no special immunities for tn
Invaluable services they have REL
dcred, they will ever enjoy happy
consciousness Of the lasting benefits
they will have conferred rpon sue
cceding generations.
Momentous however, as our achiev-
ments have been, our iabors are no.
vet over, for we have new obstacle
to overcome, and enemies yet to en-.
counter, and though not alike form
liable, 'ttheir name is legion"
But the successes which have
crowned our efforts thus far, the mi.
raculons triumphs we have achieved
in the past, Will only increase sell
confidence and stimulate us to sternel
endeavors, grander conquests, and
ultimate triumph. If to these ends
every mind is directed, and every
energy put forth, we shall before tong
emerge from the last lingering mists
which now hang discouragingly
around Us, into comparatively Sc
rene and cloudless sky.
Let us for a moment refer TO the
past and then take II glance into the
future.
Not over fifteen years ago we were
told with an air Of triumph that
''apple culture could never be sue
cess in Iowa" That "this will never
be fruit staten Sc. And to sustain
the predictions, orchards and plant
ings all over the country were referred
to in which thousands of trees had
been planted, and only hereand there
single one could be found as Il mon
ument of the general calamity which
had there prevailed. That these
were common occurrences no one
cound deny; but the old pioneer vet.
Grams, YOU who sit around me today
never quailed, never doubted. You
believed in God, the Maker, Con
trollcr and Governor Of all things,
and the Creator Of all men, and did
not believe thisgo0d Being in whom
YOU trusted, had created these beau
tiful prairies with their undulating
surface and woodland borders, un-
exceIled rs you had proved them tC
be, in richness and capacity for ccrca
and vegetable productions, to be only
barren waste as to fruits and flow
ers, indispensable necessities ano
ornaments of all civilized countries
Your faith was too strong for this
You began to study nature whose
great volume is ever open ana I'm
folding its instructive pages daily
and hourly to all who will read them
In the very instances referred to 10y
| the Responding unbelievers, you DIES
cried the certain indications of ulti-
mate success and a glorious future
These rare md isolated trees which
loomed up here and there as relics o.
| the general ruin, with constitution
and fruitfulness bidding defiance t
the assaults Of the tempests. and vi
cissitudes of the seasons, you con
\ StTHt'u 10 bt VIC Ht1ic Ildi W ii{-NiS VI 9
brighter day, and you have beer
spared to behold it. That day has
| dawned upon you and opened out
into n brillianey now recognized b!
all observers. You have pursued
natures admoniiions, and traced
them out from step to step and from
season to season. until your hardy OF
"iron clad" varieties number by the
hundreds, embracing as fine fruits as
were ever produced in any country
under the sun. You have overcome
all obstacles which at first environed
you, and now you must grid on your
armor to battle with those which an
noy and hinder your ultimate victory
over oil the enemies Of your vocation
| Prominent among the besetmentS
of the present are the insect tribes
which I trust by the aid Of our ento
mologists. and your own native ener
gy and ingenuity. YOU will overcome
before long. Shall it be written dowI
in the coming time, that you and
as rational beings, and after having
accomplished SO much, have been
outdone by the ravages of insects
governed alone by blind intincts and
a dogged perseverance,? l cannot
doubt that if we shall all engage In