198 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



LACLEDE COUNTY. 



A. Nelson — We have 90 members. Ten papers of interest during 

 the year have been read. 



Oregon county made a favorable report. 



Livingston county made a good report. 



Missouri Valley Society is as prosperous as usual. 



B. F. Smith, Kansas — We keep our Society alive by making the 

 social feature prominent. We have the summer meetings at the homes 

 of the members. We always have dinners, summer and winter. A. 

 great deal depends upon the secretary of the society. I can make a> 

 good report with only three or four members in attendance. 



J. C. Evans — Let us hear from Illinois and Michigan. 



Mr. Dennis — For 30 years Hancock county, Illinois, has had a. 

 Horticultural socity, which has met at least ,four times every year, and 

 sometimes once a month. We have a program made out and sent 

 to our members two weeks before the time of meeting. We seldom 

 have a failure. Each one does the work assigned him. We have 

 standing committees on various subjects ; they report at every meet- 

 ing. I believe from my experience that we have as good a local so- 

 ciety as it has ever been my privilege to meet with. It is neither dead 

 nor sleeping. 



Mr. Morrill — Our society in Michigan meets three times a year — 

 in December, February and in the summer. Our plan is to make the 

 local societies auxiliary to the State society. They report anything of 

 special interest or value to the State society. Our State society has 

 over 500 members, and is in good working order. Our report is a good 

 book of reference, and compares with that of Missouri or New Jersey^ 

 It is sent everywhere. It discusses all of the topics of the day m 

 fruit-growing, and new fruits. We have the aid of one of the best 

 Experiment stations in the United States. Prof. Taft is always in line 

 with our wants. We do not lose time in learning of anything that may 

 advance our interests. President T. T. Lyon is in charge of our sub- 

 station at South Haven. 



We have found it almost impossible to have a good meeting in a- 

 large city. Wherever in any locality we find a young man starting in 

 fruit-growing, we push him into the local and the State society. We 

 also put the ladies to the front as far as we can. We get our revenue 

 from life members at $J0, and annual members at $1. Our Secretary- 

 has been poorly paid and over-worked. 0. W. Garfield held the oflBce 

 as long as we could keep him. B. C. Reid, our present Secretary, is 



