THE ANNUAL MEETING. 171 



SECRETARY'S ANNUAL STATEMENT. 



Mr. President and Members of the Society: 



It is not a pleasant duty to review our failures, but it does give us genuine 

 satisfaction to recall incidents connected with the successful prosecution of any 

 good work. In canvassing the labors of our society during 1S80, and placing 

 on record, as becomes my duty, an epitome of our transactions, I feel a whole- 

 some pride in the results of our exertions. We may not have added greatly to 

 the world's wealth or knowledge, but we have used a very small portion of the 

 funds in circulation in a way that we can point with satisfaction to the results, 

 and we have been enabled to disseminate some valuable knowledge among the 

 people engaged in horticulture in Michigan. 



Inasmuch as the secretary has directly to do with almost every effort of the 

 society, you will pardon me, I know, for giving some prominence in this state- 

 ment to the work of that officer, as in that way I can best explain the results 

 of the year's endeavors. 



REPORT OF 1879. 



The manuscript for the volume of 1879 was entirely in the hands of the 

 printer at the close of the year, and the printing and binding was so far for- 

 warded that we had copies for distribution to members at the February meet- 

 ing in Hillsdale. I like the plan of getting the volumes into the hands of the 

 people who use them as early as possible, for although a great proportion of 

 the matter is applicable to our work almost any year, still many things have a 

 peculiar application to the time in which they are uttered. I tind there was no 

 State issued its horticultural report for 1879 as early as Michigan, and this is 

 very largely due to the admirable arrangements and promptitude of the State 

 printing establishment, under the direction of W. S. George & Co. 



DISTRIBUTION OF REPORTS. 



We have had quite a large call for our volumes of 1879 from abroad, and I 

 have taken pains, as far as possible, to meet this demand with courtesy. It 

 seemed to me that a leading object to be subserved in issuing these volumes 

 by the State, was the advertisement of our horticultural prosperity and the 

 peculiar advantages possessed by our State for the successful prosecution of 

 this branch of industry. Hence, at no little trouble, and some expense to the 

 society, I have sent several hundred volumes outside the State. Some of these 

 have gone to other societies and educational institutions, but many of them 

 have gone into the hands of people who were looking to Michigan for homes. 

 In cases where it seemed to me men were taking advantage of our volumes to 

 increase their general knowledge of horticulture, or to assist in their work in 

 other States, I have asked the membership fee, or at least the expense attend- 

 ing the shipment of the volumes. 



Our plan decided upon early in the year, by the executive board, was to be 

 very careful to receive assurance that the volumes were wanted before placing 

 them in the hands of the people, and the distribution was so arranged as to 

 build up local societies, as far as possible, wherever the boxes were sent. This 

 will be more fully explained under another head. 



The details of the distribution have been under the management of Mr. F. 

 W. King, our efficient librarian, whose annual report will explain what he has 

 done. The plan of retaining in the hands of the society several hundred 

 volumes of each year's transactions proves to be an excellent one, for every 



