494 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Howland: It looks to me that this society needs to make~progress 

 or quit Imsiness. I think Indiana is behind tlie times if we cannot afford 

 to do what Massachusetts did tliirty years ago, to my certain knowledge. 

 Thirty years ago 1 went to Boston and was passing along down the 

 street and I passed by an open door and saw quite a few gentlemen stand- 

 ing around and I discovered that there was quite a fruit display there 

 — eveiything that was growing in that season was there— and I asked 

 what the meaning of this was. I asked them why there was so much 

 fruit on display. They informed me that this was their custom, that 

 they always displayed the fruit of the season in this room and the public 

 was invited to come in at all times and inspect it and ask questions in 

 regard to its cultivation. Now that was thirty years ago. I had the 

 pleasure of visiting an institution of the very kind you are advocating 

 right there in Boston. It seems to me that with the rapid strides Indiana 

 has made in the last thirty years that we ought to have an-ived at the 

 point where we can afford to do what Massachusetts did thirty years 

 ago. If our society is worth anything, it is worth everything to us, and 

 we should induce the Legislatin-e to carry on this institution by giving 

 us the means, and in this way benefit the whole citizenship of the State 

 of Indiana. There is no good reason why the Horticultural Societj^ of the 

 State of Indiana should not receive encouragement from the state. Other 

 institutions do. and there is no good reason why we should not. I have 

 been in many of your meetings, but I never took an active part, because I 

 was not a fruit grower in what you might call a wholesale way. I grow 

 enough fruit to feed my family and friends. I would be pleased to see 

 this society take a step forward instead of backward. I think that this is 

 a small thing to ask for. The horticulturists of the State of Indiana con- 

 tributed largely to the building of this State House, and we have a right 

 to demand certain things, and we are entitled to them. We have a r'ghl 

 to ask for a room and an appropriation sufficient to run it. 



W. W. Stevens: I have one word to add. I have considered this mat- 

 ter very carefully and I have nothing at interest but the success of the 

 society, and in my address I made such a recommendation as I thought 

 was for the best inte^-e.st of the society and state. When I took into con- 

 sideration that we had an appropriation of fifteen hmidred dollars it 

 seemea to me that it was time to take advanced steps, and I see nothing 

 that we can do until we enlarge the duties of our Secretai-y or some one 

 competent to give advice along horticultural lines in this state. It did 

 not seem to me that we could do this work successfully with the appro- 

 priation we have now of fifteen hundred dollars. Two hundred and fifty 

 dollars must go to keeping the experimental orchard. That leaves one 

 thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. It seems to me that we might 

 cut down our little outside expenses, but I hardly think we could cut 

 them down that mnrli. This would leave something in the neighborhood 



