KEPORT OF THE FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 



MICHIGAN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



LUDINGTON, MICH., DEC. 5-7, 191L 



President Farrand — The audience will please come to order. The hour 

 has arrived for the opening of this meeting, and it will be so opened by 

 an invocation. 



INVOCATION. 



O God, Thou art our Father. Thou art the Father of all things, and 

 we would acknowledge Thee at the opening of this session. We would 

 indeed acknowledge that Thou art the giver of every good thing that we 

 enjoy. As we see so many tokens round about us of Thy favors to us, 

 so many blessings that come to us through the natural world, we would 

 recognize Thee even there. May we believe that Thou art the God who 

 sends the sunshine and the rain, who gives us abundant crops, who gives 

 us prosperity. O may we in return bring to Thee grateful hearts and 

 lives of loyal obedience. We thank Thee, heavenly Father, for all the 

 opportunities that come to us in this great day of privilege, the oppor- 

 tunities that Thou hast given us of associating with, and serving, each 

 other. Give unto us a glimpse this morning of our Master, and the 

 spirit of sacrifice which He brought to the world. And then, dear Lord, 

 when we have served Thee here as long as Thy good pleasure shall grant 

 us to remain, do Thou give us an abundant entrance into Thy better 

 world above Avhere we shall meet again with all the loved and redeemed 

 of this world. In the name of Christ, our blessed Redeemer, we ask it. 

 Amen. 



President Farrand — We will now listen to an address of welcome by 

 the mayor of Ludington. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention — By reason of my 

 occupancy of the position of mayor of the city of Ludington it becomes 

 my pleasant duty to welcome you all to our hospitality. I extend this 

 welcome, gentlemen, not alone because it is customary to do so, but for 

 the further reason that we sincerely feel that your coming is a matter 

 of great profit and benefit to our county. 



For twenty years past the fruit raising industry of our county has 

 suffered from the prevalence of the codling moth, the curculio, the tree 

 borer, the curled leaf and various other diseases and insect pests too 

 numerous to mention in detail. For years we divided our fruit crops 

 with these diseases and pests and were satisfied with only a half yield 

 of poor fruit hardly worth calling fruit. 



Through your work, gentlemen, we have learned to control these 



