PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 31 



actual expenditure upon them, is to place them in tlie hands of 'the agri- 

 cultural societies of the state on the terms offered to granges and local 

 societies, with the understanding that they be offered as })remiums for 

 horticultural and other exhibits. 



"With the much devolving upon our secretary, as such, in addition to the 

 care and responsibility of his own business, it will perchance be found 

 necessary, if the labors above indicated are to be undertaken, to vest their 

 performance in other hands than his." 



Mr. Pearsall: It is certain that the .society needs something to 

 replenish its funds. I wish that every man, woman, and child who 

 desires one of those valuiible volumes, could have it free of cost. 

 But how to so supply them and at the same time pay our own expenses is 

 a question I can not solve. Mr. Pearsall dwelt at some length upon the 

 work of the society and its benefit to the state, as well as the great value of 

 the fruit catalogue. 



S. S. Fuller of Eaton Kapids : The influence of the State Horticultural 

 society has made me what 1 am, for thereby I was turned to fruitgrowing 

 when failing health compelled me to quit the dental chair. Our Eaton 

 county society flourished well for a time, but ran down from ebbing 

 interest. It was revived by addition of social features, so that we now get 

 out from 80 to 100 persons at each meeting. All want the reports, but it 

 is diflicult to get the dollar for membership fee. We get only 20 to 30 

 members, but why this is so I cannot well see. 



Mr. Baur: It is strange if the state of Michigan cannot have a 

 commissioner of horticulture and pay him for compilation of this report 

 as a part of his duty. Prussia makes free distribution of millions of trees 

 each year; Wurtemburg, a state smaller than Michigan, sends lecturers on 

 horticulture to the villages, at great expense, because its authorities know 

 that spread of horticultural knowledge is beneficial to the state. 



President Lyon: Should we ask aid of the state, there would be others 

 at once asking the same, though by no means upon the same footing as 

 ourselves. Many have no just concejjtion of the importance of horticulture 

 in this state. Other states sustain their societies by liberal appropriations 

 and some means should be devised to make the public better acquainted 

 with the importance of the general question. 



Mr. Monroe: I dislike to discuss this question, or, rather, dislike the 

 necessity for discussing it. The state prints and binds the report, but 

 there its work stops. The most important part of all, the editing, has to 

 be provided by us. The editor must be an expert, and he must be paid. 

 There is not anywhere a set of text-books as complete as these reports, 

 containing as much sensible, practical, intelligent information. The auxil- 

 iary plan of membership seemed just the right thing, and it is most unfort- 

 unate that it was not continued. The most injurious thing is the impres- 

 sion that all the work of publication is done by the state. A fruitgrower 

 should be willing to pay five dollars rather than be without the report 

 each year. The value of the volumes is very much increased by the 

 thorough indexes which accompany them. I have read what is said of these 

 reports by horticultural journals, and their criticisms and reviews fully 

 justify the estimates we place upon them. 



The evening session concluded with the reading, Ijy Prof. Taft, of the 

 subjoined paper, by Mr. A. C. Roberts of Plainwell, upon 



