GENERAL HISTORY. 117 



Specific directions for preparation of the soil, planting and 'subsequent 

 treatment accompanied the seeds. 



Under these offers eighty-one applications were received for seeds, and the 

 reports demonstrate that they were mainly successful, and, moreover, that in 

 all cases the scholars became interested and efficient helpers, while the flowers 

 proved valuable aids to the teachers in their work, as well as sources of 

 amusement, refinement and elevation to all concerned. 



Encouragement may also be drawn from the circumstance that, in some 

 cases at least, the influence thus exerted resulted in arousing an interest 

 among the patrons of the schools, which resulted in the improvement of the 

 homes of the children. 



Whatever may be the conclusion as to the propriety of the endeavor to 

 grow flowers upon school grounds, the fact may be regarded as already 

 demonstrated that the difficulty in the way lies in the indifference of the 

 teachers and the patrons of the school rather than in the danger of injury by 

 the pupils. 



The annual meeting of the State Horticultural Society convened at 

 South Haven, on December 5th to 7th, 1881, upon the invitation of the 

 South Haven Pomological Society. 



Among delegates from other States were S. D. Willardand J. S. Woodward, 

 of western New York; H. P. Hanford, of Indiana; E. C. Barnard, of Illinois; 

 anti J. E. Eupert, of Iowa. 



The display of horticultural products was unusually fine, a fact doubtless 

 due, at least in part, to the offer by the society, of premiums for meritorious 

 exhibits of apples and pears, and also for house plants. 



The meeting was called to order by the president at 8 p. m. on Monday and 

 the society was welcomed by J. Lannin, president of the South Haven 

 Pomological Society, in an appropriate address, which was responded to in a 

 few words by the president of the visiting society. 



Upon the question, " Can Horticulturists do Something to Counteract the 

 Effects of our Severe Droughts?" irrigation, cultivation, the use of salt, 

 mulching and the plowing under of green crops, were all more or less dis- 

 cussed, but without reaching a definite conclusion. 



The committees for the occasion were then announced by the president. 



The morning session on Tuesday was opened by W. W. Tracy, of Detroit, 

 on the topic of " Vegetables — The Market and Kitchen Garden." 



He preferred that the farmer's garden should be in an open field, or other- 

 wise in an oblong, rectangular enclosure, and that everything be planted in 

 rows, with an eight foot clear space at each end to facilitate turning when 

 cultivating. His ideas were illustrated by a plan. 



E. M. Potter, Kalamazoo, followed with a paper on '' The Farm Garden," 

 in which he gave his recollections of the garden where, in western New 

 York, " he specs he f ustest started to grow,' ' adding the ideas that had come to 

 him later in life, and, with his peculiar quaintness, remarking, ''now, if any 

 of my neighbors are here, please don't amuse anybody by saying * you just 

 ought to see his garden once.' " 



The subject, including the modes of starting early plants and keeping them 

 through the winter, was quite fully discussed. 



Professor W, J. Beal, then gave an address on " What Can Botany do for 

 Horticulture?" 



His definition of horticulture, which has the merit of more correctly ex- 



