168 Mississippi Valley HorticidtiLral Society. 



consisting of Williams, Smith and Nowlin, was appointed for the 

 purpose of reporting a plan for raising the necessary funds for the 

 support of the Society. 



Mr. (jalusha, of Illinois, from the committee to whom the report 

 on Experimental Stations was recommitted, reported the following, 

 which was adopted: 



15EP0RT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. 



WiiEKEAS, The attention of the Congress of the United States has been so often, 

 called to the importance of fostering the interests of agriculture, horticulture and 

 the mechanic arts, as to induce them to provide for the establishment in the: 

 several States of the I'nion of agricultural colleges for the special work of teach- 

 ing those sciences relating to agriculture and the mechanic arts; and, 



Wherea.s, In the opinion of the members of the Mississippi Valley Horticul- 

 tural Society these institutions generally devote an undue proportion of the instruc- 

 tions in these colleges to literary studies, and thus, in so far, fall short of accom- 

 plishing in the best manner and to the fullest extent the special objects for which 

 they were created ; 



Resolved, That we urge upon the trustees of the various agricultural colleges the 

 importance of giving prominence to the science and practice of agriculture, horti- 

 culture and the mechanic arts; and, 



Whereas, A bill has been introduced into Congress for the establishment in 

 each of the several States one or more Experimental Stations in connection with 

 these agricultural colleges, for the testing of trees, plants and seeds, and different 

 breeds of animals, etc. ; therefore, 



Resolved, That we urge upon the Representatives and Senators in Congress from 

 the several States represented in this convention, attention to the importance of the 

 objects named in said bill, and earnestly request them to adopt this bill, or another 

 equivalent in its provisions. 



Resolved, That a sufficient number of copies of these resolutions be printed by 

 the Secretary and distributed among the members of this Society for their use in 

 carrying out the objects sought. , 



Mr. Baker, of Kansas^ a member of the same committee, asked 

 leave to add the following supplemental resolution, which the So- 

 ciety granted : 



Resolved, That in view of the rapid extinction ^f the forests of the country, the 

 time has arrived when all government timber lands should be withdrawn from 

 market, and the timber thereupon only should be sold, and in such a manner as tO' 

 protect liie forests from extinction. To do this efi'ectually the forest lands should 

 be divided into districts of reasonable extent, each under care of a government in- 

 spector, whose duty it shall be to supervise theforest growth, to bring trespassers to 



