SUMMER MEETING, 18S0. 69 



a wholesome public opinion. We must manufacture that. I know a district 

 in which a very few interested people had to take advantage of a big horse race, 

 when a majority of tax -payers were away, to get even a decent school house. 



Mrs. H. Dale Adams urged that people go home from such meetings with a 

 will to do something. She had a good deal of faith in the influence of even 

 one person who was thoroughly in earnest. 



Prof. Holmes spoke in general terms of praise of the action the Society was 

 taking in this matter, and said the only way to succeed was to stick to it and 

 never give it up. We have rare advantages in our State for developing orna- 

 mental grounds, and all are living below their possibilities. The school should 

 be the center of public improvements and an example for private work of this 

 character. 



Secretary Garfield was called out and hastily ran over the history of the agi- 

 tation of the subject in our Society, and advocated aggressive measures in the 

 direction of our educators. He said not one-tenth of the teachers knew the 

 names of the commonest trees used in ornamenting grounds, and not one in a 

 hundred had a distinct idea of any proper method of beautifying a school yard. 

 He had addressed a circular to a number of the leading educators in the State, 

 inquiring their opinion upon methods of adorning school grounds, and with 

 singular unanimity they agreed that they had no experience or opinions. 



President Lyon thought that some work of education in this direction should 

 emanate from the Normal School. They pretend to make teachers there who 

 are to be models, who will build up model schools, and certainly this important 

 part of their instruction should not be neglected. He strongly supported the 

 view that aggressive measures were needed, and that we should keep the mat- 

 ter before the public. 



On motion of H. Dale Adams a committee was selected to take the matter 

 into consideration and report a resolution looking toward definite action on 

 Friday. President named as such committee Messrs. H. Dale Adams, Gales- 

 burg; C. D. Lawton, Lawton ; W. W. Tracy, Detroit. 



The topic of 



FAIRS FOR AMUSEMENT AND INSTRUCTION 



was to have been led by Mr. J. P. Thompson, of the Post and Tribune, but 

 the serious illness of that gentleman prevented his attendance, and Mr. A. G. 

 Glidden was called upon for remarks. 



Mr. Glidden said that in the matter of fairs we were not up to the highest 

 standard yet, although they were accomplishing a good work, still oftentimes 

 the definite object of making them instructive was often lost sight of by the 

 managers. 



It. F. Johnstone said that the first thing to be considered was a sound finan- 

 cial basis. The indifference of many towards horticultural displays at fairs 

 was deplored, and the necessity of educating the people by the same careful 

 display year after year suggested. The fair was particularly beneficial in view 

 of the opportunities for competitive comparison in fruits, and careful con- 

 sideration should be given to the subject. 



Mr. Tracy spoke of ex-Secretary J. P. Thompson, of Detroit, who was suf- 

 fering from a severe illness and unable to be present, although deeply inter- 

 ested in the welfare of the society. 



Mr. R. F. Johnstone moved that in view of Mr. Thompson's services to the 

 Society a memorial resolution be prepared to express the gratitude of the asso- 



