328 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. McAfee then wrote and presented the following paper : 



As it has been asserted that European Larch is stronger and tougher than American 

 White Oak, I offer to give $loo to the man who will demonstrate before the next annual 

 meeting of the Northern Illinois Horticultural Society that such is the case, by actual 

 experiment in breaking across sticks of these two woods of one inch square and two feet 

 long, by applying weights. 



Any person intending to claim this offer, shall notify the Secretary of this Society, 

 on or before May ist, 1874; and if any such notice is received, the money will be 

 deposited in bank to order of the Secretai7, by June ist, 1874. 



The stick of Larch to be broken to be furnished from any county, by the person 

 intending to claim this offer; and he shall present sworn testimony, fully attested, that 

 it is a stick of the Larix Europa, and I will furnish the White Oak to be broken. 



A committee of three are to be chosen, one by the contestor for the premium, and 

 one by myself, and the third by those two, who shall decide whether the premium is 

 fairly won ; and if so, shall order the Secretary to pay it over to the winner ; and if it 

 is not so won, the Secretary shall pay it back to me. 



(Signed,) Henry H. McAfee. 



Mr. Spafford stated that posts of the American Larch, set in New 

 York, in 1837, were still standing in 1871. Several other members gave 

 instances in which posts of this tree had proved durable. 



ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 



The President announced that the time had arrived for the Annual 

 Election of officers of the Society ; whereupon, after the appointment of 

 tellers, the election was held, and resulted in the harmonious choice of 

 the following : 



President — Tyler McWhorter, of Aledo. 



Vice-Presidents — H. C. Graves, L. K. Scofield, Edward H. Beebe, 

 D. F. Kinney. 



Correspondifig Secretary — D. W. Scott. 



Recording Secretaries — Edmund Hathaway, C. W. Richmond. 



Tre astir er — L. Woodard. 



L. K. Scofield presented the following preamble and resolution, 

 moving their adoption : 



Whereas, We learn with deep i-egret the probability that the trustees of the State 

 Industrial University have in contemplation, from a desire to economize in expendi- 

 tures, to give in the future less prominence to instruction in Horticulture than formerly : 

 therefore, 



Resolved, That we firmly, yet respectfully, enter our protest, as of the sovereign 

 people to honored servants, against false economy in this direction, preferring to have 

 expense curtailed in some department of literature, or to have economy equally shared 

 among the different departments. 



A rising vote was taken upon the resolution, which resulted in its 

 unanimous adoption. 



On motion of Mr. Ellsworth, the time and place of the next annual 

 meeting was referred to the Executive Committee. 



Adjourned for dinner. 



