Transactions at the Annual Meeting. 91 



and to be prepared to take active part in carrying on the literary 

 part of the labor ; paying their expenses and compensating them 

 for their time, if attendance cannot be secured otherwise. But is 

 there not a good deal of force in the remark made by a lady sec- 

 retary of one of the local societies, on hearing of the proposed 

 plan to hold so many meetings, "that would be spreading out the 

 State Society rather thin? " It would seem to be the wiser course 

 to hold one or two live meetings, rather than to excite expecta- 

 tions in five or six local societies, of large attendance and a regu- 

 lar broadside of horticultural wisdom, and disappoint them all, 

 or all but one. 



While there were two responses to the proposition for a summer 

 exhibition, there were none at all to the one made in the fall for 

 winter meetings. I wrote to all, either to the secretary or some 

 member of the society, and to some of them a number of times, 

 giving notice of the offer by the State Society ; from some there 

 was no reply ; others said " it would be difficult to get up suffi- 

 cient interest to make a successful exhibition ; there would be 

 little to show, and if the weather was cold, it would be impossible 

 to bring out plants and flowers." I think, that had the proposi- 

 tion not been burdened with an exhibition, involving an expense 

 of fifty dollars besides much labor, at a time of the year when the 

 weather is liable to be unfavorable, and the material for getting 

 up an exhibition very limited, a number of the societies would 

 have been glad to have held meetings for discussion and reading 

 of papers, and would have welcomed the State Society to meet 

 with them. I think we will have to admit the wisdom of their 

 decision, for looking at the financial side of the question the pros- 

 pect for any returns for the fifty dollars invested is not very bril- 

 liant, not much, if any, better than for so much put into " French 

 pear stock " or "peach pie-plant," which we do not encourage. 

 "We cannot expect these societies to be willing or to be in a con- 

 dition to lose fifty dollars, because we are willing to put as much 

 more with it, for the chances are at least very great that this 

 would be the pecuniary result. It is very important that we 

 should co-operate with the local societies, and do all we can to 

 aid and encourage them in creating an interest in, and a love for hor- 



