7:i . Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



Mr. Plumb — I wish to offer a thought in eDcouragement of 

 the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. You know it is 

 somewhat stereotyped for me to claim to be the pioneer of 

 this part of the programme of having ladies read papers to 

 be publisned in the volume of the report. Last spring I 

 was visiting in Missouri and was looking through a gentle- 

 man's library. I saw the Wisconsin volumes arranged 

 right along in a string, right up in his library, I said, What 

 earthly use are they for your work. " Why, I prize them 

 very highly," he said. He is engaged in civil engineering, 

 and also is the city engineer. "Why," said I, "there is 

 nothing in there in your line." He said, " There is where I 

 get amusement as well as instruction. Your Wisconsin 

 reports have something that I don't get anywhere else." 

 Said I, "What is it?" Said he, '^Why, those admirable 

 ladies papers." He spoke for the next volume, and a volume 

 of the Agricultural Report was ^sent to him by Secretary 

 Babbitt. I received a letter from him a few days since and 

 he said," Be sure the Wisconsin reports shall always have 

 a place, and I hope it will be filled, in my library." In 

 many states these volumes, with these ladies' papers, as well 

 as briefer papers, are stored up with a great deal of care. 

 When the time comes a resolution will be offered to that 

 effect. 



President Smith — I would like to make a remark with re 

 gard to these volumes. A gentleman of Massachusetts 

 came to me, and asked me if I could get him one of the 

 volumes of the report. He wanted to send it to his father. 

 He said, " There is nothing he is so anxious for in the line 

 of horticulture as your Wisconsin Horticultural Reports." 

 I said, " What is it that interests him?" He said, "It is 

 the reports of the ladies. He never read anything that 

 equals them in the line of horticulture." I don't know th e 

 gentleman but I presume he has got the report. 



The report of the committee on resolutions was now 

 received as follows: Favoring Providence having given 

 most delightful weather, and the citizens of Janesville a 

 cordial reception to this summer meeting of the Wisconsin 



