The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-07-11
THE JENNINGS FAIR.
Southwestern Bouisiam n
horticultural Society.
Held aI Jennings, CnIcasieu
Parish, JuIy AGII, 1855.

Inc toiloWlng Is President SHANK
lands address to the Horticultura
Society and the visitors:
Ladies aud Gcntlenen-Our dca
heavenly Father, in the multitude o
his mercies 10 MS, has given ms
go"dIy heritage, Il home in this bean
tilnl land, whose climate is unsur
passed for its salnbrity, and the pos
sibilities Of whose soil, with prope
culture, is beyond conception. Wha
Douglass Jerrold once said, of the sol
of England, can be said with empha
sis, in regard to the soil of our parish
"tickle it with II hnC, and it will laugh
with rrop.'
Our coming together on this, oul
natal day, is not only to celebrate with
becoming respect our national ami,
veraary, but it is to lay the foundation
and cornG" stone on which, in the
near future, will be erected temple
to agriculture, which to the fruit,
grain and vegetable growers of our
parish will be the mecca on whose
altar we and our children will an
nnally lay the most choice productions
of our orchards and farms.
This exhibit, under the circum
stances. could not be u large or ex-
trnsiVe one. Allow me to compare it
with one held in 1853, in Fairfield,
Jefferson county, Iowa, being the first
exhibit of the Iowa State Fair. There
were a few common horses and cattle,
no bIOOded stock. A few specimens
of apples, a small number of articles,
the handiwork Of the farmers wives
aud daughters; this was all, it lasted
about three days. The entire receipts
being about three hundred dollars,
aud the larger part of this sum was
raised by subscription. The now great
State of Iowa was then in her infancy,
the same as we are to-day. But that
Society, with lis very small beginning,
has kept the people of Iowa abreast Of
progressive agriculture, and the total
receipts Of the Fair of 1884 was, in
round numbers, $4,000. These two
volumes published annually, is the
0utgrowth of that first beginning, at
Fairfield. And with giants stride,
she, in three decades, now occupies
front seat among the agricultural
States of our Union.
California, in little more than
decade, has come to the front, as
grower of choice fruits. Ten years
since, it was their boast that they were
exempt from the insect enemies, which
caused the fruit growers in the States
the loss of millions of dollars annu-
ally. With the advent of the tree
peddler Of the East came the insect
scouTge, to deyour the fruits of the
Pacific slope, and their loss, yearly, is
several millions Of dollars. refer to
this, to warn our people from commit
ting like folly. | believe there are
no insects to destroy the fruits here,
and if We would continue to enjoy an
immunity from the insect pest, il is
imperative that we give the tree ped
der wide berth. Club your orders
and order from responsible nursery
men.
In conclusion, allow me, on the part
OF the citizens Of Jennings, to extend
to y0u 4 Louisiana welcome.
ADDRESS or MR. S. l.. CAREY.
Ladies aud Gentlemen We meet
to-day to celebrate the triumphs
of peace. War has her tri.
umphs, and when waged in Just
cause for right aud liberty victory is
glorious But mGst wars have been
waged by bloodthirsty tyrants for
blood, conquest and dominion. Yet
the history Of any country is a history
Of Its wars. But change has come;
peace, white winged and beautiful, has
mankind, and although peace
and Gladstone are in shadow to-day,
red handed war may not take its place,
for way down deep in the hearts Of
men Gladstone and peace are premises
still. And now, on this, ogr natal day,
we Of Southwest Louisiana, meet on
his beautiful prairie dedicated to
leaIth, stock and frnit) to celebrate
he triumphs Of man and peace over
HE fruits of the field. A few Of us
ike the spies of Israel, were sent to
,py out the land, and Moses said,
Get you up this way Southwark, and
lmong the Canaanites (Acadians) who
lwelI by the sea and by the coast of
Iordan.' They returned with grapes,
md they brought Of the pomegranates
lnd of the figs. And we believe that I
1.Ial ,,a Ia,h,. I,o,atJ l ,