bOCIETY OF CEXTBAL ILLINOIS. 181 



ceived. We want to profit as mental and moral beings, by the 

 studies which bring us together. As has been just said to us, our 

 business brings us into intimate relations with the interesting and 

 instructive facts and forces of Nature. The nearer we make these 

 associations, the better for us as specialists, and the more hope for 

 us as social, intellectual, moral and religious architects of our own 

 fortunes. The more clearly and fully we recognize the truths writ- 

 ten upon leaves, and the better we appreciate the teachings of flow- 

 ers, the more we shall think of ourselves and of the great Author of 

 all. Tennyson puts it in this wise: 



" Flower in the crannied wall, 



I pluck you out of the crannies — 

 Hold you here, root and all, in my hand. 

 Little flower ! but if I could understand 

 What you are. root and all, and all in all, 

 I should know what God and man is." 



Again I return the thanks due from our Society for the elegant 

 welcome received ; and with this encouraging beginning we will 

 hopefully pursue the order of the program. 



SECRET AEY'S REPOET. 



BY A. C. HAMMOND, WAESAW. 



Mr. President, and Fellow Members: 



The revolving year has brought us to another mile-stone in our 

 history, and as the careful business-man annually takes an inventory 

 of his stock, and examines the ground over which he has passed, so 

 it becomes the Horticultural Society of Central Illinois, to examine 

 its past work, that it may know whether it is of the character that 

 benefits the citizens of the State, and blesses the world at large. In 

 brief, whether this society deserves to live, and receive the fostering 

 care of the good people of the best portion of the grandest agricul- 

 tural and horticultural State in the Union. 



We point with pride to the record of our last three meetings — 

 which may be found in the transactions of the State Horticultural 

 Society — and think it compares favorably with other portions of 

 that valuable report. 



The last meeting was one of special interest, and the attendance 

 probably the largest ever present at a meeting of the kind in the 

 State, and we confidently expect that this occasion will be even more 

 interesting, and hope the attendance will be as large as at Hamilton. 



There are special reasons why we expect much of the horticul- 

 turists of Peoria County, and anticipate a meeting of great interest. 

 When the horticultural history of the State shall be written, it will 

 be shown that here was planted one of the first nurseries and or- 

 chards in the State, and that here was the birth-place of the Illinois 

 State Horticultural Society. 



