ANNUAL MEETING. 151 



Society, the Mississippi Valley Horticultm-al Society, and any other meetings 

 of State societies to be held during the winter. We recommend that the 

 members of this meeting extend a cordial invitation lo tlie officers of the 

 American Pomological Society to hold their meeting in 18<S5 in our State. 

 We recommend tliat an effort be made to secure an appropriation by the State 

 for defraying the expenses of a suitable delegation, wiio shall make an exhibit 

 of Michigan fruits at the meeting of the American Pomological Society, to be 

 held in Philadelphia in September of the coming year. We recotnmend that 

 as the highest award for exhibits, except at the State fair, we offer the report 

 of the committee neatly engrossed. We recommend the awarding of diplomas 

 or premiums for plans of farm houses and their surroundings, including out- 

 buildings, drives, paths, lawns, trees, flowers, gardens, and orchards. We also 

 make a similar recommendation with reference to plans for ornamenting the 

 grounds of our country schools. We recognize the great value to our State of 

 the numerous local horticultural societies, and recommend that we try to 

 devise some means for increasing their number and making those which now 

 exist more efficient. AVe approve the president's suggestion that efforts be 

 made to establisli brancli societies in the Upper Peninsula. Wo fully recognize 

 the great value to pomology of the untiring efforts of our president in helping 

 to diffuse information in regard to correct nomenclature. Also his efforts in 

 making a fine catalogue for the different localities in our State. We are much 

 gratified with the earnest and successful efforts of our secretary in establishing 

 branch societies, and in doing so much to improve our exhibits of fruit. We 

 are thankful that we have a secretary who makes a report second in value to 

 none in our country. We also feel gratified that he so loves this work in his 

 own native State, that he has refused to abandon it, although frequently 

 tempted to do so by very much larger salaries than we have been able to give. 

 We recommend that a meeting consisting of one delegate from each of the 

 local horticultural societies of the State be called to meet in Lansing the 2d of 

 January, 1883, to see what means can be devised for securing aid from the 

 State to more fully compensate some officer of our society to enable him to 

 devote a larger portion of his time in advancing the interests of horticulture, 

 and in disseminating useful information of this character among the people 

 of Michigan. 



Respectfully submitted, 



W. J. Beal, 



A. S. Partridge, 



N. A. Beecher. 



A considerable discussion upon the report was indulged in, all commenda- 

 tory however. Every man that spoke desired that the provisions of the report 

 should be carried out, and on motion of Mr. Baldwin the report was referred 

 to the Executive Board with the request that ways and means be adopted, if 

 possible, for carrying out its suggestions. 



The convention next listened to a paper read by I. H. Butterfield of Port 

 Huron, on the subject of 



TARIFF LAWS CONCERNING HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 



A mere statement of the rate of duties, which is the substance of the laws 

 relating to the importation of sucli products, could be given in a small s[)ace. 

 The law simply says: "There shall be levied and collected ou certain articles 



