GENERAL HISTORY. 10 



To the Senate and House Committees on Horticulture : 



The American Pomological Society is one which for the past thirty-six years has been 

 most influential in moulding and shaping the development of fruit culture in our 

 country, and its biennial meetings have been of great value to pomologists, and through 

 them have excited wide-spread interest among all classes. This society holds its next 

 meeting at Boston, in September next, and efforts are being made to make it an excep- 

 tionally large and profitable one. The State Horticultural Society asks an appropria- 

 tion of $1,500 to enable it to make there such an exhibit of the fruits of Michigan as^ 

 shall be creditable to our State, and call the attention of future immigrants to its advan- 

 tages for producing fine fruit. 



T. T. Lyon, on behalf of a previous committee on legislation, made a 

 lengthy report, in which, in speaking of the future of the fruit trade with 

 Europe the necessity of improved waterways, such as shall admit sea going 

 steamers to the upper lakes, was urged ; and the fact that this is a matter of 

 common interest to various other branches of trade and commerce was urged 

 as a reason why the fruit interest should not undertake the movement single 

 handed. 



The report farther urged the importance of legislation to encourage the 

 improvement of school-houses and grounds, and to require the needful quali- 

 fication of teachers in this direction. 



W. W. Tracy was appointed chairman of the standing committee on the 

 vegetable garden, and K. Haigh, jr., ^as constituted chairman of the standing 

 committee on landscape gardening, and each was empowered to select his 

 associates. 



The secretary made an extended report on the formation of auxiliary socie- 

 ties, of which fourteen were reported already organized, and twelve others in 

 process of formation. 



After some farther informal discussion the executive board adjourned. 



The executive board met at Lansing on J une 2d, 1881, and had a confer- 

 ence with the Governor respecting an exhibit of the horticultural products of 

 the State at the meeting of the American Pomological Society, at Boston, in 

 September, for which the recent legislature had appropriated the sum of 

 $1,000. 



This meeting occurred during the evening previous to the day appointed 

 for the visit of the board to the Agricultural College, upon the invitation of 

 the State Board of Agriculture.- 



C. K. Coryell was chosen to report the proceedings during such visit. 



The summer meeting of the State Horticultural Society was held at Ben- 

 ton Harbor, on June 7th to 9th, 1881, in acceptance of the invitation of the 

 Berrien County Horticultural Society. 



On the evening of Juna 7th, the society was called to order by the presi- 

 dent. 



After the reading of correspondence, S. G. Antisdale, president of the 

 village, welcomed the society in a very pleasant speech, which was responded 

 to by the president of the society. 



In response to a question from the question box, the bird question was 

 warmly discussed for a short time, with the usual difference of opinion. 



The second question was — Is there any way of lestoring apples once frozen,, 

 so that they can be made available? 



In reply cases were stated in which apples left to thaw slowly, without hav- 

 ing been disturbed, came out sound and good. 



