90 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



president and secretary, the first question with them is, who can 

 we get? then, what subject will they take? and the result is, we 

 follow on in about the same old beaten path, year after year. 



• 

 Transactions. — In the preparation of the copy for our annual 



volume, it was found necessary to cut down the papers and reports 

 and to abridge the discussion much more than was desirable. A full 

 report of our winter meeting alone would nearly fill the space allotted 

 us. In addition to this, we have the proceedings of our summer meet- 

 ing, fully as interesting and important; the reports of our commit- 

 tee of observation, and of local societies, which would be greatly 

 extended were it possible to find room for them; weather reports, 

 illustrations and the text requisite for their explanation, and many 

 facts, statistics, points of interest and items of personal experi- 

 ence, which ought to be put on record in our volume. It would also 

 be a much more satisfactory arrangement of the matter, and add 

 much to the value of our reports, to have the discussions follow the 

 presentation of the subject that led to them. This it is impossible 

 to do now, on account of the necessity for economy of space. The 

 same reason will also explain the somewhat objectionable form in 

 which the last volume was printed, with solid instead of leaded 

 pages. These facts should be presented to our legislature, and an 

 effort be made to have them remove the restriction which now 

 cripples us. 



The number of copies of our report received by the society is 

 not as large as would be desirable. Our agricultural and horticul- 

 tural societies are increasing and must be supplied with the regu- 

 lar number of volumes; the calls for extra copies by members of 

 the legislature, it would not be policy to disregard, and, being 

 published at the expense of the state, there is a general feeling on 

 the part of the members and the public that they ought to be dis- 

 tributed freely. When there are so many avenues through which a 

 gratuitous supply can be obtained, it is useless to think of making 

 them contribute very largely to the funds of the society. 



When the law authorizing us to expend not to exceed $150 a 

 year in the illustration of our report was passed, it was unfortu- 

 nately made as an amendment to the wrong section, and the revis- 

 ion committee, therefore, regarding it as inoperative at present, 

 left it out of their report to the legislature, but on the presentation 



