108 GENERAL HISTORY. 



A general index of the first nine volumes of the society's transactions was 

 prepared by the secretary and is published in connection with the volume for 

 1880. 



The winter meeting of the State Horticultural Society was held at the 

 capitol at Lansing on January Slst and February 1st, 1881. 



This was intended strictly as a business meeting of the executive board, to 

 which, however, others were invited. 



The newly devised process of distributing the annual reports being under 

 consideration, the process of organizing local auxiliaries and making them 

 the media for the distribution of the volumes and constituting a volume a 

 perquisite of membership whether in the parent or in a local society was 

 carefully considered, together with the obligation imposed upon the society 

 to place the volumes as far as practicable in appreciative hands instead of 

 sending them, as had been too often done, to any one who would pay the 

 charges upon the package, as was also the well understood fact that after the 

 society had been at the expense of providing the matter and editing and dis- 

 tributing the volumes they had become the means of diminishing rather than 

 increasing the membership of the society by supplying the desired informa- 

 tion without the necessity of becoming members or of even attending its 

 meetings. So far as indicated by the discussions the sentiment of the meet- 

 ing was unanimous in favor of the process now employed, and on motion the 

 whole matter of the distribution of reports was referred to the executive 

 board. 



The size of fruit packages being under consideration letters were read say- 

 ing that committees of the "Western New York Society and of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Society were desirous to confer with a committee of this 

 society with the purpose to agree upon a uniform standard. The president 

 appointed C. W. Garfield, of Grand Rapids, E. F. Guild, of East Saginaw, 

 and S. B. Mann, of Adrian, a committee for such purpose on behalf of this 

 society. 



Upon the request of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society that a 

 suitable person be nominated as vice-president of that society for Michigan. 



On motion of S. M. Pearsall, William Rowe, of Grand Kapids, was named 

 for that position. 



On motion of N. Chilson, of Battle Creek, the librarian was instructed to 

 purchase a copy of the History of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society 

 for the library and to render his bill for the same. 



The secretary read a letter from President Wilder, of the American 



Pomological Society, as follows: 



My Dear Sik: — In a word the American Pomological Society wiU hold its eighteenth 

 session in Boston, commencing September 14th next. Please promulgate this 

 announcement and send a large delegation from your great State and from yoiu- great 

 resoui'ces. 



Yours truly, 



MARSHALL P. WILDER. 



On motion of Professor Beal, Messrs. Lyon, Beal, and Tracy were consti- 

 tuted a committee to prepare a memorial to the Legislature, asking an appro- 

 priation to pay the expense of making an exhibit of fruits on that occasion. 

 The committee reported the following : — 



