114 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HOETICULTURAL 



Proceedings of the 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING 



OF THE 



Horticultural Society of Central Illinois. 



WEDNESDAY A. M, AUGUST 1.' 



The Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Horticultural Society of 

 Central Illinois, met m the Opera House in the City of Champaign. 



President C. N. Dennis called the meeting to order and called 

 on the Rev. Wolf to offer prayer. 



The President stated that at the suggestion of the local mem- 

 bers the address of welcome would be left until afternoon and we 

 would now listen to the various reports. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 

 BY A. C. HAMMOND, WARSAW. 



We deem it a pleasure to meet in the goodly city of Champaign 

 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the organization of the 

 Horticultural Society of Central Illinois. 



Why have we left our homes, our varied duties in the field, 

 berry plantation or orchard to attend this meeting. We are some- 

 times asked, why do we have so many societies and meetings of this 

 kind, as they require a considerable sacrifice of time, money and 

 energy on the part of those who sustain them. Do they pay ? If 

 we estimate their value in dollars and cents that are to jingle in our 

 pockets at once, we must answer, no ! but if we take into considera- 

 tion the great number of rural homes that are coarse and unattrac- 

 tive, not to say repulsive, whose tables are supplied with only the 

 necessaries of life, where the children are restless and unhappy and 

 the father and mother live a weary, unreal life, with no noble aspir- 

 ations, no desire to make their homes bright and joyous for their own 

 and children's good, we can understand the importance of the inter- 

 ests involved. 



