47S STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ing that the failure to renew a membership is discreditable, and therefore 

 undesirable. To properly provide for such a regulation {the phraseology of 

 so much of Article VI of the constitution as relates to annual memberships 

 should be amended to read: — Any person may become a member by paying 

 to the treasurer the sum of one dollar ; and by the subsequent payment of 

 one dollar on or before the first day of January of each subsequent year. In 

 case of failure or omission to pay such annual dues, the privileges of such 

 member shall be suspended during the continuance of such oinission.) 



A corresponding modification of the by-laws relating to membership in 

 auxiliary societies would also become necessary. 



The usual annual certificate would in such case become perpetual, with 

 merely the addition of a provision for its suspension in case of omission to 

 pay the annual dues. 



While upon this subject, we may appropriately recur to the obvious fact 

 that the horticulturists of to-day must, in the ordinary course of nature, 

 soon give place to younger men, and that, if we scan the ranks of horticul- 

 ture to-day, these coming men fail to appear in adequate numbers, while 

 ladies, upon whose trained and discriminating tastes ornamental horticulture 

 must ever very largely depend, may be appropriately compared to ''angels' 

 ■visits." 



To fill these gaps in the army of horticultural volunteers it becomes neces- 

 sary, if not even indispensable, that the young, not of the one sex only, but 

 alike of both, be in some manner interested in the work of this society and 

 that of its auxiliaries. Lack of success in this direction in the past indicates 

 strongly that the problem is not easy of solution. An occasional paper or 

 discussion on the subject, even with the aid of approving resolutions, has 

 been brought to bear upon it, with no perceptible result. 



While the finances of the society by no means warrant the expenditure of 

 large sums of money to secure the desired result, we venture the suggestion 

 that the offer of moderate premiums at our meetings, other than at the 

 annual State fair, for exhibits of flowers, plants, fruits and even seeds, of such 

 things as may be then in season, may perhaps by effective efforts to create the 

 requisite interest, be made to yield returns in the way of increased member- 

 ships, sufficient to at least replace the sums thus awarded ; while, if a portion 

 of such offers be limited to girls or boys, or to young ladies or gentlemen of 

 certain ages; and if even essays on appropriate subjects, to be written and 

 read by the young of either or both sexes, be made the subjects for premiums, 

 which may be either pecuniary or honorary, we could scarcely fail to, in a 

 greater or lesser degree, awake an interest among the young in matters of a 

 horticultural character. 



Among the objects for which such premiums may be appropriately offered, 

 we would suggest: ^ # 



An essay on a specified subject, by a boy or girl of less than sixteen. 



Bouquets, plants, flowers and fruits, grown, arranged and exhibited by 

 3'0Ting people, of specified age, varieties to be correctly labeled. 



Boys' or girls' vegetable or flower plats to be planted, grown, exhibited, and 

 varieties correctly named by the exhibitor. 



Collection of vegetables or fruits arranged, named and exhibited by boy or 

 girl. 



Collection of seeds collected and correctly labeled by a gentleman or lady. 



The same by a boy or girl. 



