Introductory Exercises. 3 



Rock, Ark.; H. C Bouton, Farmer and Fruit Grower, Anna, 111.; 

 J. E. Porter, West Tennessee Argus; J. Y. (jilmore, Louisiana Su- 

 gar Bowl, New Iberia, La., and others whose names the Secretary 

 failed to get. 



First Day — Wednesday. 



EvENiKG Session, February 21, 1.SS3. 



At half past 7 o'clock p. m. Wednesday, February 21, President 

 Parker Earle, of Cobden, Illinois, called the Society to order. 



The afternoon of the preceding day had been devoted to the usual 

 preliminary work of such occasions — to the arrangement of fruits 

 for exhibition, and especially to social greetings and to the forma- 

 tion of new acquaintances; and now, at the hour appointed for the 

 first regular business meeting, in the beautiful hall and under the 

 brilliant gas lights, assembled as happy and intelligent a congrega- 

 tion of practical horticulturists as may but rarely be met with, 

 drawn together from far distant points, ranging from almost two 

 thousand miles, to the immediate surroundings. 



The following gentlemen occupied seats upon the stage : Parker 

 Earle, Esq., President ; Prof. S. M. Tracy, Secretary ; Major S. H. 

 Nowlin, Ex-Governor K. W. Furnas, of Nebraska; Prof J. J. Col- 

 mant, of the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College; T. 

 T. Lyon, President Michigan State Horticultural Society, and O. B. 

 Galusha, President Illinois State Horticultural Society, representing 

 the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society; and Judge E. M. 

 Hudson, Judge A. G. Brice, Major Austin W. Roundtree, Captain 

 J. J. Mellon, Captain A. Sambola, John T. Hardie, Esq., Adam 

 Thomson, Esq., S. M. Wiggins, Ei^q., and George W. Nicholson, 

 Esq., representing the Fruit Growers' Association of the Gulf States. 



Upon taking the chair, President Earle addressed the Society as 

 follows: 



"Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural 

 Society, we are assembled to-night in this beautiful hall, in the groat com- 

 mercial metropolis of the South, upon the invitation of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association of the Gulf States, whose President, Hon. E. M. Hudson, of this 

 •city, I now have the pleasure of introducing to you." 



