STATE HOKTiCULiTUKAij bOCIETY. 7 



them, and openings that may present themselves for the organization 

 of local societies. Each member of the committee to make a report 

 to the Society at its annual meeting, and to be paid his necessary ex- 

 penses for traveling, stationery and jiostage, not to exceed twenty- 

 five dollars, and each assistant to be an honorary member of the 

 Society and be furnished with a copy of the transactions. 



The adoption of this plan would put the Secretary in corres- 

 pondence with ever}^ section of the state, and give him the means of 

 reaching every county with letters, circulars, programmes, books, 

 etc., and in all probability increase our membership largely, and 

 interest many of the 300,000 farmers of the state who know little 

 of our work. 



This plan is crude and undigested, but may be suggestive, and 

 if submitted to a committee, something valuable may possibly be 

 evolved from it. 



If it should be thought worthy of consideration, it may be that 

 it would be best to adopt the present Congressional districts as a 

 base of operation, and make a committee of twenty to conform to 

 the number thereof. 



Would it be to the advantage of the Society and the general 

 interest of horticulture in the state to hold a summer meeting ? is 

 a question that is sometimes asked. Many of our neighbors, Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas have tried the plan, and are 

 pleased with it, and I have thought if we could hold a meeting each 

 summer in some new field, it would bring us many new and valuable 

 members and do much to advance the cause in the state. The three 

 District Societies seem to partly occupy the ground, but these sum- 

 mer meetings might be held in connection with their meetings in 

 rotation, which would give all parts of the state equal benefit of the 

 work. 



At our winter meetings we are crowded with work, but if a 

 summer meeting was held we might discuss the questions of berry 

 culture, grape, cherry and plum growing, vegetable gardening, 

 floriculture, etc., which would enable us to devote our winter meet- 

 ings to the questions of apple, pear and peach growing, forestry, or- 

 namental planting, home adornment, entomology, vegetable phy- 

 siology and other equally important (juestions. 



1 throw out these thoughts as suggestive, but am not prepared 

 to make any recommendation. 



The question of holding Farmers Institutes in each Congres- 

 sional District, and, if possible, in every county in the state, is now 

 under consideration by the State Board of Agriculture. But that 

 body, like the Board of Horticulture, finds itself without means to 

 properly carry on this and many other important lines of work, but with 

 commendable energy they have determined to push it forward and 

 desire our Society to furnish speakers to address each meeting on 

 some horticultural topic. I have sent the name of a suitable man 



