ANNUAL MEETING AT SAGINAW. 501 



mentation of rural school grounds the State will add a certain amount in 

 money to continue the embellishment. The influence is worth the attempt. 



On motion a committee consistiug of W. K. Gibson, of Jackson; Edwin 

 Willits, Agricultural College ; and the Secretary of the Society was raised, 

 charged with the duty of preparing a suitable memorial to the next legislature, 

 in the line of President Lyon's suggestion. 



Prof. Tracy questioned if it would not be more wise to work from the other 

 way, by inducing the children to take hold of the matter and become owners 

 of the embellishments. He recalled the successful attempts by the society in 

 this direction some years since, and believed it would be well to renew this 

 method. 



President Lyon called Mr. Tracy's attention to the fact that this was just 

 what he believed in, and any stimulus by legislative enactment should have 

 in mind the part the children may do in aiding the work. 



Prof. Thomas, of the East Saginaw schools, said that his ideas regarding 

 the rendering attractive of school premises had undergone some modification, 

 as a result of experience. He undertook, while at Tecumseh, to beautify 

 with the aid of his pupils and had delightful results; but during vacation 

 the flowers were destroyed and plants stolen, and even the bulbs dug up and 

 carried away. Anything especially attractive was appropriated first. He had 

 come to the conclusion that work of this kind needs to be confined to trees, 

 shrubs and trailing vines — things that cannot be readily carried off. If this 

 had occurred in a lawless community, he would have thought, perhaps, in a 

 more law abiding region his plan would succeed ; but the good people of 

 Tecumseh are especially noted for rectitude. 



Mr. Tracy — I would like to ask if the State Agricultural College could not, 

 as a means of instruction, propagate ornamental plants and furnish them as 

 gifts to schools that would accept and take care of them ? 



Prof. Bailey — That is jast what we are very willing and glad to do. I am 

 already sending out things for horticulturists to try that have been propagated 

 as a part of instruction in horticulture, and I know we could with profit carry 

 out Mr. Tracy's suggestion. 



The committee charged with the duty of making recommendations on the 

 suggestions in the president's message reported as follows: 



REPOKT OF COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Your committee would respectfully recommend that, in accordance with 

 the suggestions of the address: 



1. Exhibitions of horticultural products he provided for at each regular 

 meeting of the society and that the Executive Board be requested to con- 

 sider the feasibility of providing for the offering of some ornamental and 

 attractive prize badge for horticultural exhibits at such regular meetings. 



2. That the Secretary be requested to encourage the reading at our regular 

 meetings of papers by young people. 



3. That such portion of the address as refers to increasing the financial 

 resources of the society be referred to the Executive Board. 



4. That such portion of the address as refers to the work of the society in 

 its annual exhibition and to its future action in regard to it be referred to 

 the Executive Board, with the request that they carefully consider the feasi- 

 bility of holding a horticultural exhibition the coming fall at which the 



