REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 331 



GENESEE COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORTED BY A. L. ALDRICH, SECRETARY. 



Pursuant to ii good deal of judicious agitation, largely ou the part of Hou. 

 A. S. Partridge, and to a call quite extensively published, a number of 

 gentlemen interested in the subject of horticulture in Genesee county, met at 

 the court house in the City of Flint on the 21st day of February, A. D., 1882, 

 for the purpose of organizing a society in its interest. A considerable number 

 of citizens were present. C. W. Gartield, secretary of the State Horticultural 

 Society, was present, and in a few practical remarks explained the workings 

 of the society, and what experience had shown to be the best methods in the 

 organization of local societies. Mr. Partridge also made some general 

 remarks upon the desirability of the contemplated action. A form of consti- 

 tution was presented, and after some slight modifications, suggested by local 

 considerations, was adopted. 



Pursuant to its provisions, the following officers were elected : 



President — Hon. Asariah S. Partridge, of Flushing. 



Vice President— Q. T. Rosenkrans, of Flint. 



Secretary — A. L. Aldrich, of Flint. 



Treasurer — Leonard Wesson, of Flint. 



A vice president for each township represented was also elected, as follows : 

 Burton, J. M. VanKenren; Clayton, Norman A. Beecher; Flushing, George 

 A. French ; Genesee, Chandler H. Rockwood ; Grand Blanc, M. P. Perry, 

 Mt. Morris, R. S. Pailthorp; Atlas, D. D. Pierson; Flint, C. C. Warner. 



Provision was made for still further perfecting the organization by the 

 appointment of a committee to draft by-laws. 



Subjects for discussion were arranged for the next meeting as follows : 

 *'The Pruning and Trimming of Fruit Trees, Vines, Shrubs, etc," and "The 

 Transplanting and care of Nursery Stock." 



Thus it will be seen that the society started out with the theory that it had 

 practical work to do from the very initial. 



The total number of names entered upon the roll at this meeting was 

 twenty. 



The next meeting of the society was held at the City Hall on the 14th of 

 March. Eleven new members were added to the roll. A set of by-laws was 

 presented and adopted. 



Very interesting and instructive discussions were had upon the subjects pro- 

 vided for at the first meeting, a considerable number of the members partici- 

 pating. The remarks were of a practical character, being the results of the 

 observation and experiences of men who have made fruit culture and tree 

 planting a business for years. It is probable that more really valuable infor- 

 mation was disseminated through the medium of those discussions than 

 through any other agency ever operating in this county. At a subsequent 

 meeting of the society an important paper on the subject of "Picking, 

 Packing, and Marketing Apples," was read by Mr. Rosenkrans, and was dis- 

 cussed by other members. The paper was filed in the archives of the society. 



