112 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



and applying them was " to conceal material facts from the masses," and 

 make the acquisition of knowledge difficult, and thus "secure to experts 

 and scientists a sort of royalty" on knowledge. 



The day has come when authors of text-books are eliminating more and 

 more these excrescences upon this useful science. Botany will be a popular 

 science, said Prof. H. H. McAfee, on one occasion, in our annual horti- 

 cultural gatherings, when we " rid it as much as possible of all the unfa- 

 miliar, unnecessary technical terms which it is possible to dispense with ; 

 and even then, in the nomenclature (which of course could not be changed) 

 we would have enough to task the memory." 



Mr. Flagg offered the following resolution : 



Resolved, that the Executive Committee of this Sociuty be instructed 

 to memorialize Congress, urging the restoration of the single rate on all 

 third-class matter. 



After brief discussion and explanations the motion was carried. 



Letters were read from G. B. Brackett, President of the Iowa State 

 Horticultural Society, requesting that delegates be appointed to attend 

 their annual meeting in January. Delegates appointed. 



Letter read from Mr. W. H. Ragan, President of Indiana State Hor- 

 ticultural Society, sending cordial greeting. 



ON VINEYARD CULTURE. 



O. L. Barler reported on Vineyard Culture, reading an essay, which 

 was followed by discussion. But as nothing especially new was brought 

 out, and for want of space, the report and discussion are omitted. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FRUITS. 



Your committee found upon the tables a very fine collection of the 

 more valuable of the winter apples of our State, together with a few win- 

 ter pears. 



The specimens of each variety were larger than usual, some of them 

 very large, but showing the dull and clouded condition, as to color, so 

 usual the past season. Notably, some specimens of the Ben Davis and 

 Willow TwMg, from Hamilton county, were very large, handsome, and 

 with high, bright color, proving it, as has long been known, to be one of 

 the finest apple regions of the State. 



We find on the tables, from the same county, a seedling originating 

 in Hamilton county, an apple named by the Warsaw Horticultural Soci- 

 ety " Wythe," which was brought to the notice of this Society some years 

 ago by our now worthy President. Your committee, some of whom have 

 seen this apple year after year on our tables, have come to the conclusion 



