VALI.EY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 333 



.) A N LA 1{ V MEP]TINa, 1884. 



Reported hy II. S. Bloom, Secretary. 



The Society held its first monthly meetin<? for 1884 on Satur- 

 day, .lanuary 12, in the Suitorvisor's room, Kankakee. 



The meetinji^was called to order hy I 'resident A. L. Small. The 

 minutes of last meeting read hy the Secrefary and approved hy the 

 meeting. The President said that unfinished business was in order. 



Milo Barnard — As our president-elect was not present at our 

 last meeting, I desire to say a few words under the head of unfin- 

 ished business. 



Although the secretary's report contains all that need he said 

 touching the success of our Society for the past year, and also many 

 valuahle suggestions for the guidance of our organization in the fu- 

 ture, still a few words from me, as your retiring otficer. may not he 

 out of place. 



For seven years the horticulturists of this and adjoining coun- 

 ties have worked together in an organized capacity for the advance- 

 ment of horticulture, for the mutual benefit of the members, and for 

 the pu1)lic at large, and during the entire existence of the Kankakee 

 County Horticultural Society you have done me the lionoi- to choose 

 me as your presiding officer, for which 1 now return my sincere and 

 hearty thanks foi- the confidence and tiMist you have reposed in me, 

 and the cheerful and efficient help you have always so heartily ren- 

 dered lue. without which my feeble efforts would have availed but 

 little, and I now ask you. as you love the cause that we have long 

 laboretl to up-build, to give the same hel])ful assistance to my suc- 

 cessor that you have always rendered me. Let our Society in the 

 future, JUS it has been in the past, be a school where we are all teach- 

 ers and pupils by turns; let us strive to learn something new each 

 season, and impart it to our fellow members in return for the many 

 valuable lessons we receive from tlieii- untiring energy and j)ersever- 

 ance. Thus eaidi one receives, and is justly entitled to. the benefits 

 arising from the knowledge and experience of the whole class. Time 

 has fully demonstrated that our Society acted wisely at the start in 

 making no distinction between the sexes, touching society work, and 

 the encouragement we have given to the young people to join us in 

 horticultural labor, both in organized capacity and the more practi- 



