■ 722 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



MAINE. 



This State appropriates |1,000, annually, out of which the Society 

 publishes its proceedings. 



From the foregoing you will see that, although this is one of the 

 original colonies, the Keystone of the arch, yet in respect to its 

 horticultural interests it is far behind some of the younger states. 

 I sincerely hope your President will appoint a committee to draft a 

 bill creating a Division of Horticulture, and that the Legislature 

 will pass the same. I thank you for the careful attention you have 

 given me, and regret that other engagements prevent my being with 

 you during the balance of the sessions. 



Prof. Hamilton, Secretary of Agriculture, being unavoidably ab- 

 sent, the President called upon Hon. A. L. Martin, Deputy Secretary 

 of Agriculture. 



ADDEESS. 



BY Hon. a. L. Martin, Deputy Secretary. 



In taking the floor the Deputy Secretary expressed the pleasure he 

 felt in being able to attend the meeting and coming in touch with its 

 members. He expressed the hope that not only this Society, but 

 other organizations such as the Dairymen's, the Stock Breeders' and 

 others should be liberally encouraged by the State, not only by 

 words, but by appropriations to aid in defraying expenses of meet- 

 ings of this kind. The discussions and proceedings of such meet- 

 ings should be recorded and promptly printed and distributed for 

 general information, and not delayed until several years old. He 

 further stated: People who live hundreds of miles away and who 

 are interested in your work should have prompt access to your re- 

 port, and when the demand for their early and prompt publication 

 is properly and earnestly jjressed, the man who has an orchard in 

 Western Pennsylvania will be able in a week or two, to read the re- 

 sult of your deliberations. I fully agree with Prof. Heiges, that 

 there should be in this State, a Division of Horticulture, and beJieve 

 that if you stand up and combine your efforts, you will have it. That 

 will be the avenue through which your work will be put on an estab- 

 lished basis. 



We have just entered the threshold of horticultural work in this 

 State, and the time will come when we will give object lessons in 



