84 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



little time for recreation or study. I render any assistance I can to promote 

 the best interests of our farmers. I wish to make their acquaintance and get 

 them interested in our work at their college. I have seen good results from 

 such efforts, 



I have lectured at a school for teachers at Pine Lake, at Hose Church, three 

 or more times at Capital Grange ; also in South Ilaven, Galesburg, before the 

 Ingham County Farmers' Chib held in Mason, a farmers' institute held at 

 Manchester, High School at Lapeer, twice at Pomona Grange of Ingham 

 county, Grange at Battle Creek, and Grange at Okemos, I attended the meet- 

 ing of the State Pomological Society in Grand Rapids, and read my report 

 as chairman of the orchard committee ; also read a paper on Ilybridi/ung Plants 

 at a meeting of the same society held in Allegan, and another on teaching hor- 

 ticulture and horticultural experiments at the Agricultural College, and another 

 on Forestry, I attended all of the six farmers' institutes, lectured at four of 

 them, and answered numerous questions and took part in the discussions at all 

 of them, I attended the winter meeting of the State Teachers' Association in 

 East Saginaw, and took part in the exercises; also the liarvest festival of 

 Pomona Grange, and a similar festival in Ionia, 



Besides the above, I have declined numerous requests to lecture in other 

 places in this and in other States. 



I have many letters to answer, — many with questions about grasses, weeds, 

 bee-plant?, etc., coming from Texas to Canada and New York to California, 

 Many inquiries have been made by the agricultural press, especially by papers 

 in our own State. All these have received prompt and courteous replies. As 

 previously mentioned, the account of experiments made last year has been very 

 extensively quoted by the press, showing that there is an interest in experiments 

 in horticulture and kindred topics. If this be the case when scarcely any money 

 is employed for experiments, and when the instructor is working in vacation 

 and performing the work of one man in the class-room and the work of another 

 in the gardens and orchards, might not we expect much better things in this 

 direction with more money and some assistance? 



I cannot close without expressing my gratification at the zeal and faithful- 

 ness of all who have been trusted with responsible positions in the Horticultural 

 Department. The officers of the Agricultural and Horticultural departments, 

 from tlie highe^^t to tlie lowest, have often worked together, borrowed from 

 each other and helped each other, and all with the utmost good feeling. I am 

 not able to recall an unpleasant or an ungenerous act on either side. 



W. J. BEAL. 

 Professor of Botany and Horticulture. 



