The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-27
An Interesting Paper.

Chalkley Dillingham;, president Of thu
Potomac fruit growers association, deliv
cred the following address before the las
meeting, which will commend itself to thu
fruit-growers of the state:
FRIENDS OF THE POTOMAC FRUIT
GROWERS AssoCIATION--Anot year
0fthe existence of our organization has roll.
ed around since our last election for officers
and in this lapse of time can we show O
corresponding progress and improvement
in genealogical science ? if science it may be
called but | believe it is denied by most
scientific men to be such, but only based
upon observation and experience hence
the greater necessity for closer attention
and practical illustrations and experiments.
l take this opportunity to tender my
cordial thanks to the members of the asso-
citation for the great mark of respect shown
and reposed In me, by placing me again
as the presiding officer Of these meetings,
composed as they are, of some Of the best
scientists of this great nation, and, too, at
its very capital. say l do not know
how to sufficiently appreciate and repay
this great evidence Of favor and friendship.
1t was stated at our last meeting that
some greater means should be used to
increase the size of and interest in these
meetings of the association. Well, / will
ask you what shall be done in order to
effect this i; shall we not all do our best to
effect the discovery as to the best means to
instill new life into the collected organiza-
ton by every member, to consider that
each one owes something towards making
every meeting useful and interesting,
by either having something to exhibit,
or some information to give that
will 60 to benefit fruit growers.
If any thing more can be done by the
presiding officer in any way to forward
the work, or to make the meetings of the
association more interesting, he is at the
service of the members, if he can find out
what that would be he does not fatter
himself with having an intimate knowledge
of parliamentary rules in the management
Of the meetings, neither does he think that
necessary in order TO effect the object in
view, But he does 1atter himself with
having some knowledge of fruit growing
and is willing to impart it on every neces-
sary occasion, inside the society and out of
it, having had considerable experience in
that line for over half century.
/ will make few extracts from the adj
dress of that veteran pomologist, Marshall
F.. Wilder, delivered before the American
pomolgical society, at its biennial meeting
at Richmond Virginia, in the autumn of
1871: would suggest said hey that it
is desirable for us to gather up for future
use the lessons which have been acquired
by the experience of the past. We have
been so busy in accommodating knowledge
IN the various branches of our culture that
we have had no time to look back and to
systemic the differences and deductions to
be drawn from our operations. But we
believe the time has now come when we
should pause and survey the field and
make review Of the lessons which science
has taught; for science is but state
ment OF these lessons-experience system
lied and trained for progress. 1t is
the grains Of sand that roll up the noun
tains, the drops of water that make the
ocean, and it is lesson upon lesson, fact
upon fact, which must build up the science
which we wish to create. Nothing in the
present age astonishes us more than the
wonderful power of association, the centra-
lization Of thought and action for the pro-
motion of particular objects, thus collecting
the experience of individuals and diffusng
this knowledge for the benefit of the
world. How clearly is this seen in the
operations of our own society-how great
the changes and how rapid the progress
since its formation! Then its list
of members was 10Y, now its roll
contains the names of 312 persons. Then
its sphere of operations was limited by the
boundaries of a few states, now its field
extends from ocean to ocean, from the pro-
vinces to the gulf, and wherever the
foot of civilization rests in our broad do
main. Nor is it too much to say that in
this space of time more progress has been
made in the science of pomology than in
the whole period since the settlement of
our country. Never before was the inter-
est SO engrossing or SO widely extended"
INSECTS AND DISEASES.
The subject Of insects and disease is
daily attracting more attention, for their
depredations are daily becoming great
evil, and the importance of chronological
investigation is every day more plainly
seen. 1t is less than fifty years since DR..
Harris first published his work on 'Insect
Injuries to Vegetation" and great is the
debt Of gratitude which we owe to him,
and to the succeeding investigators who
have given their lives to studying the hab-
its of these little "creeping things which
be upon the earth," that they may teach
US how to destroy those that prey upon
our trees, and to distinguish our friends
from our foes.
Every plant imported from abroad brings
with it new insect or disease, and the dis
semination of new plants and varieties,
without which there can be no progress in
horticulture, inevitably disseminates their
insect enemies. On this subject, the words
Of Edmund Burke are appropriate I" The
most vigiant superintendent the most
prompt activity, which has no such day as
tomorrow in its calendar, are necessary to
the farmer" and we may add, still more so
to the fruit-grower, and ten-fold more
necessary to combating our insect enemies.
The neglect in battling with these vile crea-
lures is the great bane to successful cuti-
walton; but as long as moral evil exists in
the world, so long may we expect there
will be evil in the natural world, and he
who is not willing to contend against both,
is not worthy of the name of either cult
vator or of Christian.
We belong to that class who have faith
in the ultimate triumph of good over evil
in the moral world, and our faith is not
less strong that the insect plaques shall, if
not exterminated, at least be subdued, so
that the labor of keeping them so far in
check that no material harm shall be caused
NV them will he cnmnaratiyalv aaSv We