l that our president in this instance has
hit a high-water mark. He has taken hold of a very important idea and
has developed it. After making an observation or two I am going to move
a vote of appreciation to our president and accompany it with a vote of
thanks to Senator Penney for coming down here from Michigan and lending
his aid and enthusiasm.

We listened last night to a discussion about this roadside planting. As
I observed before it is not without its difficulties the same as
everything else; but this proposition extends to the various state
boards of horticulture, highway, or what-not, one of the greatest and
finest opportunities. Personally I believe in nut trees; but you must
first get the public with you. Suppose you had a highway into Lancaster
lined on either side for a half mile with pink weigelias in the spring.
You would have the whole population going up and down that highway
looking at the display. And the pink weigelia is almost a fool-proof
shrub. It grows without cultivation and grows very rapidly and blooms in
the greatest profusion. Suppose in mid-summer you had another highway
lined with hydrangeas. I believe a particular one that is hardy is
called paniculata grandiflora. It is a fool-proof shrub also, requires
very little care and comes on after the other flowers go. It also can be
produced very cheaply. You would have the population looking at and
admiring the blooms and it would inspire, in each one of those
individuals, a desire to go and do likewise. Suppose you had a half mile
of sweet gum trees. If you go down through the counties of Pennsylvania
now you will see the sweet gums--some of them a deep dark purple, some
of them a bright golden yellow, some of them red, some of them with all
the colors and all summer a beautiful foliage--suppose you had a half
mile of those leading into a street of any city in America. The
population on Sunday would drive out there and admire their beauty. It
affords a wonderful opportunity. The individuals who care for those
trees and shrubs, while moving up and down the highway caring for them,
will be carrying with them a little university of horticultural
knowledge. The average farmer thinks it is a terrible thing to spray. It
is the simplest thing in the world as you know. This machinery by which
these trees and plants and shrubbery would be cared for would be a
moving university up and down the highway teaching the farmers how to
care for their trees.