THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 



INTRODUCTOKY NOTE. 



The Secretary's Portfolio is now looked upon as a fixed department in the 

 annual volume of the Michigan State Horticultural Society. The newspaper 

 notices all mention it favorably ; letters without number from in and out of 

 the State urge its continuance, and the multitude of excellent hints brought 

 out during each year in connection with the progress of horticulture demands 

 that a place for preservation and ready reference be given them. 



The men who investigate, experiment, and draw valuable deductions, are 

 rapidly passing away ; but their experience and views we can save where they 

 will benefit men for generations. It is the aim in this Portfolio to save only 

 the best things. As the reader glances over the contributions, he sees that the 

 authors of the gleanings here found are men and women whose opinions are 

 respected. In preparing the copy for this part of the annual volume, I find it 

 takes a great deal of time and thought. The aggregate amount of matter that 

 is written and spoken upon horticultural topics during the year is immense, 

 and very little of it is worthy of preservation. To gather as much of this as 

 possible, — then to sift it several times, saving the best and trying to lose none 

 of the really valuable matter ; and at the same time looking out not to dupli- 

 cate material in previous volumes, requires more of one than, appears in the 

 resultant. I fall very far short of my ideal, but I can see that if time would 

 admit of a more even distribution of the labor during the entire year, a more 

 satisfactory collection could be gathered. 



To the newspapers named in connection with the large number of extracts 

 found in the Portfolio, I am largely indebted for assistance. I am especially 

 grateful to publishers of the following journals for the volumes of 1880 sent 

 me free of expense for this purpose : Kural New Yorker, Grange Visitor, Prac- 

 tical Farmer, Prairie Farmer, The Husbandman, Lansing Eepublican, Gar- 

 deners' Monthly, Kentucky Live Stock Record, Detroit Post and Tribune, 

 Michigan Farmer, Farmer and Fruit Grower, Indiana Farmer, American 

 Agriculturist, American Kural Home, College Quarterly, and Industrialist. 



