WINTER MEETIISTG, 1877. 9 



Pears, xmder the supervision of I. E. Ilgenfritz, of Monroe, were out in very 

 considerable force, and among tlieni were some very fine specimens; especially 

 some plates of Bartlett and Flemish Beauty, from the Peninsula in Traverse 

 Bay ; wliich were, in our estimation, t!ie most l)eautiful specimens of this fruit 

 iu the entire exhibition, although others may have excelled them in size. 



Apples, of course, constituted the great bulk, and also the overshadowing 

 feature of the entire collection ; and the magnitude of the entire exhibit may 

 be better ajipreciatcd if we state tliat Michigan must have placed upon the 

 tables, during the latter })art of September and the iirst half of October nearly 

 or quite three full carloads of apples ; exclusive of other fruits. This being 

 the case, we will have little difficulty in understanding that the collector of 

 this fruit, Mr, II. Dale Adams, of Galcsburg, must have found the task of its 

 collection, shipment, and arrangement an onerous one. 



The grand display of apples had been fixed by the Centennial Commissioners 

 for the second week in September, a date quite too early for the maturity of 

 this fruit in Michigan. For this reason it was decided not to attempt a full 

 exhibit during that week ; but to defer the same till the period of maturity ; 

 when the size, color and quality could be more perfectly shown ; the assurance 

 having been received, that an exhibit then would be accorded the same meas- 

 ure of recognition as if shown at the time specified for the purpose. 



In dismissing this subject, we may indulge the remark that, in view of the 

 insufficiency of the Legislative appropriation for the purpose, the work of col- 

 lecting and forwarding this display of fruits must have lagged, and would pos- 

 sibly have been in the main abandoned but for the active sympathy of the 

 State Centennial Commission, and, iu a very direct and effective manner, that 

 of Governor Bagley. 



The joint exhibition of this society and the State Agricultural Society, at the 

 recent State Fair at Jackson, occurring during my necessary detention at the 

 Centennial, is undertood to have been very satisfactory in its results, and to 

 have added strength to the union of the two societies, as is evinced by the readi- 

 ness with which arrangements have since been concluded for the continuation 

 of such union in the conducting of the next annual fair, such arrangements 

 having been entered into by the committees of the two societies, upon substan- 

 tially the same basis as tliat of last year. 



The annual meeting of the society, which occurred at Coldwater, last Decem- 

 ber, although not largely attended, was by no means lacking in interest; and. 

 it is hoped that a good foundation has been laid for the growth of horticultural 

 interests in that fertile and wealthy section of the State. 



At the February meeting of the society last year, a resolution was offered by 

 W. L. Webber of East Saginaw, providing that moneys heretofore required to 

 be invested in a life membership fund be placed in the general fund ; and used 

 in common with that fund, to meet the expenses of the society. This resolu- 

 tion was referred to the society, to be considered at the annual meeting ; but 

 its consideration was, at that meeting, still farther deferred, on account of the 

 absence of Mr. Webber. It is for the society to determine whether or not it 

 shall be acted upon at this meeting. 



At the February meeting of last year a committee was raised charged with 

 the duty of applying for and, if practicable, securing rooms in the new capitol, 

 when completed, to be used as the headquarters of the society. Should this 

 committee prove to have been successful in such application, it will doubtless 

 now be time to consider the propriety of taking measures for the collection of a 



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