158 Nebraska State Horticultural Society. 



of any in the union. Just think, it has now a membership of about 

 2,600, and the aim for next year is 2,500. The question comes up, how 

 was this success achieved? 



For years the society jogged along in the old way. Their plan 

 was like Nebraska's, to elect secretary and treasurer in open meeting 

 each year. This plan is radically wrong, and why? The office of the 

 secretary is one that pays the best salary, and of course there are many 

 candidates for it, and often a favorite will be sprung upon the meeting, 

 who may not be at all fitted for the work. After a half a century of 

 this method we notice that the Massachusetts society has now changed 

 its constitution so that the secretary is elected by the trustees. That 

 was exactly what the Minnesota society did years ago. A set of careful, 

 intelligent directors were elected, and it was their business to take time 

 and hunt up a good secretary. 



They chose Dr. Latham. He was a nurseryman, a man of excel- 

 lent judgment and of rare evecutive ability. He has been in for 

 several years. He is the nucleus around which a splendid society has 

 been built. They pay him $1,200 a year. He has no other business 

 or calling. He gives himself entirely to his work. 



Does it pay? Wisdom and brains always pay. He has brought 

 the society up to its present states of efficiency. The office pays for 

 itself. He collects in about $1,800 a year, and that pays his salary, 

 the rent of the rooms, and the stenographer. The society loses nothing 

 by getting the very best man to be had. 



The Nebraska society should follow suit and carefully select a 

 board of directors and leave them to choose a secretary. He should 

 be a man of first class ability, with no other business to attend to. He 

 should have an office and keep open door and be ready to go out and 

 visit different sections of the state. Such an office would pay. Fifteen 

 hundred annual members should be secured in a year. Those pay 

 their $1 a year and get the annual report. This, instead of being a 

 rehash, warmed over and over and rehashed, should be filled with 

 fresh information, and be absolutely worth $5 a year to each member. 

 It should be gotten out in good shape and not be allowed to pass out 

 into the world with a dozen glaring blunders to the page. We need a 

 report which will be something more than wadding. 



Strawberry Crop a Failure. 



The first thing was several papers on the strawberry. In most 

 parts of the state the crop was a failure. They blossomed well and 

 gave good promise, but just as the fruit was swelling a blight swept 



