114 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Duulap: 1 want to thank von for the very pleasant time I have 

 had here. I have spoken quite a lot about apples, but I would i)refer 

 if it were possible that all of you could visit my orchards and investi- 

 gate for yourselves. Before I leave I want to say that we in the middle 

 west, and those in the east too, in order to work more unitedly, should 

 bring ourselves into closer union together in this apple business; have 

 some central place or organization where we can meet every year, with 

 delegates from the different states, and individuals tliat get together, — 

 thresh over these national and general questions, some of which have 

 been brought up here this afternoon in a concentrated form. In other 

 w^ords, have a Commercial Apple Growers' Association that would be 

 national in character, and take in the apple interests so that we could 

 get together, and get some idea of tlie crop prospects, and open this 

 transportation question, of service of cars, and all these numerous 

 commercial questions that come up in a practical working out of this 

 question. It does seem to me that such an organization would be de- 

 sirable and you will receive an invitation to send a delegate to meet 

 somewhere, sometime this coming spring, to get up the frame-work of an 

 organization and get up a program so that sometime in the middle of 

 the summer we could have a general meeting and discuss these ques- 

 tions to our mutual advantage. I hope you will be able to appoint 

 such a committee, who have enough interest to attend this meeting. 



Again I thank you for my very cordial entertainment here. 



At this point Mr. Halligan announced that Mr. Stanley won first 

 prize, Mr. Peterson second prize, and Mr. Rude, third prize in the fruit 

 identification contest. 



Adjourned. 



THE BANQUET. 



One of the most interesting of all the features of the Annual Meet- 

 ing of the Michigan State Horticultural Society is the Banquet. On 

 these occasions there is such a "Feast of Reason and Flow of Soul" that 

 it lasts through all the year to come. And as the years go by they 

 become more interesting just as any country with a history is a source 

 of pleasure and satisfaction to those who are interested in it. 



The banquet this year was held in the banquet hall of the Pantlind, 

 one of the finest hotels in the State, if not of the whole country. Two 

 hundred of the members sat down to the spacious five-course repast, and 

 every one voted it to be the best that had ever been held. 



After the meal, the order of the occasion was changed, and for an 

 hour the company listened with the deepest interest to an even dozen 

 speakers, who gave interesting talks on timely topics. 



Honorable Chas. W. Garfield acted as toast-master, and this is all 

 that need be said for he has the reputation of being one of the most 

 entertaining and felicitious speakers of any connected with this organ- 

 ization. 



Before introducing the speakers he said: 



