176 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



• 



The above does not ineliule >;350 transferred from general to life fund. It does 

 include ^45 voted by tlie executive board to be used for local society work, 

 which amount was transferred from the treasurer to the secretary witliout a 

 check, but for which the treasurer holds my receipt as his voucher. 



How our work is to j^roceed. 



Our work must depend very largely upon the acknowledj^ed and known 

 wants in localities. The more we know about any county in tlie State the 

 more we can do for it. Our aim should be to get at facts concerning every 

 portion of our State. These are necessary to the accurate building up of our 

 fruit catalogue, and the spreading of exact information that shall bring into 

 the State the best people. I do believe we are on the right basis of operations 

 to secure the best results. The question is how to establish and increase the 

 interest in the objects we have in view. 



The reports of the officers were, on motion of Mr. Crozier, accepted and 

 ordered placed iu the printed transactions of the society. 



Election of Officers. 



The hour liaving arrived for tlie annual election of officers, several gentle- 

 men took the floor at once, and all seemed desirous of saying about tlio same 

 thing, — that the society had a number of excellent papers yet to hear, and 

 there was no use in wasting time iu balloting separately for the officers when 

 everybody was satisfied with tlie 'gentlemen that at present filled the positions. 



Mr. E. F. Guild of East Saginaw finally succeeded in maintaining his 

 position upon the floor in advance of others, and after special recognition by 

 the chair moved that Mr. E. 11. Scott be authorized to cast the following bal- 

 lot: 



For President — T. T. Lyon, South Haven. 



For Secretary — Chas. W. Garfield, Grand Rapids. 



For Treasurer — Sherman M. Pearsall, Grand Rapids. 



For Members of Executive Board — James Satterlee, Lansing; J. N. Stearns, 

 Kalamazoo. 



For Member of Executive Board to fill vacajicy — John Abbott, Lapeer. 



The motion was supported by a number of gentlemen and unanimously 

 carried by the convention. 



Mr. Scott carried out the instruction of the society and the above named 

 officers were declared elected. 



The following paper was presented by Mr. B. Gott, our visiting member of 

 the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association : 



'•FRUIT CULTURE AND CHARACTER BUILDING.'' 

 BY B. GOTT, AKKOXA. NUKSERIE6, AKKONA, ONT. 



Friends of tJic Michigan Stale Horticultural Society: 



Gentlemen, — I am pleased to be present with you at your annual meeting. 

 According to my text, which may be a little one side of your programme of 

 subjects, I am to present to your attention for a short time the bold and beau- 

 tiful figure of Pomona as a character builder. This noble nymph is to be 

 employed upon us in our most important interests, namely: our character for 

 this world and after. Block upon block, block upon block is deftly and 

 securely laid in its place in the structure, by her skillful and accomplished 



