VALLKY HORTKULTURAT. SOCIETY. 335 



trilmte of' kind ami loving words for those who have finished their 

 hibors and have passed to the unknown hind. I now clieerfully sur- 

 render all honors, emoluments, care and labor incident to the position 

 to my successor, and bid you an official farewell. 



President Small thanked Mr. Haniard very kindly du behalf of 

 the Society for his kind wishes for the prosperity and well-bein<^ of 

 the Society, and hoped he would always take an active interest in its 

 ])roceedings. 



PRESIDEXT SMALL'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS 



L<i(/ies and Gentlemen — Members of the Kankakee Valleij llorticnl- 

 tural Society: 



I will follow the exam]ile of my worthy predecessor by giving 

 you my annual address' at this, our first meeting of the new year. T 

 have chosen for my suljject " Transactions of Horticultural Socie- 

 ties." and will attempt to give a review, which must necessarily be 

 brief, of such meetings of horticultural and kindred societies as I 

 have attended the past year. 



First was the meeting of the Northern Illinois Society, held 

 al)out a year ago. This was rather slimly attended. Hut little 

 interest was taken in the discussions; no enthusiam or even anima- 

 tion displayed, and T can recollect nothing woi'th recalling that was 

 done there. The transacticms were published with those of the State 

 Society, and you all have, doulitless, read them or can do so if you 

 wish. 



Next was the met'ting of the Mississi])pi Valley Horticultural 

 Society, held in Feltruary in the city of New Orleans. This T 

 attended in company with tive other members of your Society, Mr. 

 and ^frs. Tim. Dickinson. Mr. and Mrs. P]lias Powell, and Mrs. 

 Siuall. Notwithstanding the fact that many who ex])ected to attend 

 were ke])t away by the unprecedented Hoods extending over the 

 northwest at that time, rendering travel by railroad dangerous, and. 

 in many ))laces, al)solutely impossi])le, there was a large gathering 

 and nmny noted iiorticulturists were ])resent. Papers of much 

 interest and value were read, and had more topics been introduced, 

 and the discussions taken a wider range and not contim^d as they 

 were almost ex(dusively to the strawberry, many persons in attend- 

 ance would have heeii better pleased. 



June the 2()th, in company with your secretary. I attended the 

 eighth annual session of the American Association of Nurserymen, 

 held in St. Ijouis. The ^lississippi h'iver was again verv high, over- 

 tiowing great tracks of country, but this did not lessen the attend- 

 ance and the meeting was a large one. These nurserymen's meet- 



