82 TKANS ACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



enthusiasm over and beyond that imparted by technical information, 

 woman and the womanly qualities of mind must have a considerable 

 share in it. Shall our assemblies be more of a horticultural reunion, as 

 well as a horticultural school ? 



Turning now to the second great object named — the communication 

 and acquirement of knowledge pertaining to our art, I shall only retain 

 you to say that it does not appear to me necessary nor desirable that so 

 great a proportion of the time be taken up in reading at length papers 

 which are to be published in the reports. This is not because I value 

 this reading less, but the time more. Three days in the year contain 

 very precious moments for the assembled horticulturists of Illinois. 

 Personal experiences and opinions ought to be called out and notes com- 

 pared, questions and answers stimulated and direct communication freely 

 and fully established. There are topics which cannot be generally 

 discussed, and yet cannot or will not be understood from print. These 

 must be presented in full and enlarged upon as required. There are 

 such as require illustrations by specimens or drawings, such as record 

 minute and unusually thorough investigations and need to be dwelt upon 

 and explained ; but in these it does not strike me as important that the 

 verbal presentation should necessarily be the same in wording or amount 

 as that offered for publication. I am certainly of the opinion that at 

 least some of the communications now, according to custom, read in 

 extenso might with profit be presented in an abstract embodying the main 

 points and stating the conclusions in one-tenth part of the time otherwise 

 occupied. This might be practiced even upon subjects calculated to 

 awaken valuable discussion ; but in these, as far as possible, some steps 

 ought to be taken beforehand to provide for the best expression of 

 opinion and argument. I recommend that such abstracts be sent to the 

 Secretary, or to a committee appointed for the purpose, at least six weeks 

 before the time of meeting, and that by some method copies be made 

 and sent to such members as would be likely to be especially interested, 

 and would prepare themselves to understandingly discuss the subject. 

 Whether the paper should be read in full or by abstract might be left 

 with the same officer or committee. 



In regard to the publications of the Society, while I regard the 

 volumes of the "Transactions" now printed as among the best issued 

 upon the continent, and know that this estimate is placed upon them by 

 many capable judges outside our own State, it seems probable to me that 

 improvement may yet be made. There are to my mind in these also 

 two main objects — 



ist. The preservation and dissemination of knowledge. 



2d. The cultivation of taste and the promotion of interest in the 

 objects and processes of our art. 



These are somewhat similar to the foregoing, but are reversed in 

 order. 



Public reports and documents as a rule have little interest for the 

 people. Formal proceedings of societies, made up of statistics and busi- 

 ness items, become lumber on most shelves, if they meet no worse fate. 



