68 STATE HORTICULTURAL. SOCIETY. 



aud when they may be reudered the most effective in securing what the 

 society especially needs — an increased membership. 



A SCHEME FOK MEMBERSHIP. 



"As another apparently very effective method of retaining its member- 

 ship and increasing its members, we may douljtless profit by the example 

 of our friends of the Ontario society, who treat their membership as per- 

 manent, each being held pledged to an annual renewal, while as an induce- 

 ment to do this, an annual distribution is made to such members, of 

 recently introduced plants or fruit trees, of varieties deemed promising for 

 that region. By means of these inducements it is understood that the 

 society succeeds in keeping up its membership permanently to the number 

 of one thousand or more. 



NEED OF BETTER WORK AT WASHINGTON. 



• "It is now more than four years since the establishment of a division of 

 pomology, in connection with the department of agriculture at Washing- 

 ton. It is understood that the appropriations for the maintenance of such 

 division have, heretofore, been insufficient; and moreover, so hampered by 

 restrictions or limitations as to seriously intei'fere with its effective organi- 

 zation and the development of its plans. The recent elevation of the 

 department, constituting its head ©ne of the confidential advisers of the 

 president, with the known active sympathy of the former president of our 

 State Agricultural college, now assistant secretary, together with the incom- 

 ing of a new congress, present a favorable occasion to press upon the con- 

 sideration of the responsible authorities the great and rapidly increasing 

 importance of this subject, and especially the urgent need of an adequate 

 appropriation administered by thoroughly capable persons, to the end that 

 this new field for governmental effort be wisely and effectively occupied. 

 It will perhaps be found needful that such review and possible revision be 

 extended to the entire horticultural machinery of the department, to insure 

 that all its various branches be brought to work harmoniously. 



" To this end we suggest the appointment of an individual, or a com- 

 mittee, to devise some effective method by which this whole subject may 

 be urged upon the attention of congress, as well as upon the officials of the 

 department in question. 



" There have long been in existence national, state, and even local 

 organizations engaged in actively working out many of the problems to 

 which the new division will be expected to devote much attention, while, 

 very probably, much valuable knowledge thus locally acquired may have 

 failed to reach the general public from lack of the means of general dis- 

 semination. 



"Recently the national department has devised the plan of collecting, 

 epitomizing, and publishing the valuable information developed by our 

 various experiment stations. It seems desirable, not to say highly impor- 

 tant, that an intimate reciprocity be also established between the depart- 

 ment and the various horticultural organizations in question, to the end 

 that the department may obtain reports of the transactions of each, and 

 publish, for general dissemination, such portions of the same as shall 

 prove to be of general interest. An application of this character, it is 

 believed, would stimidate these organizations to greater efficiency and 



