288 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



And tinally, as a last point, I wish to urge the abolition of my office. It is an 

 old saying that what is everybody's business is nobody's business, and our 

 society is in some danger of realizing this truth under its ]ireseut system of 

 managing the annual exhibitions. We have one too many otlicials. Tlie gen- 

 eral Superindent of Pomological Hall has no duties which do not properly and 

 fairly belong respectively to the Superintendents of Fruits and Flowers, or else 

 to the President, Secretary or Executive Comniittce. Ilajipily, the evil system 

 has thus far borne no perceptible fruit of its kind, but tlie merit of tliis fact 

 belongs, I think, rather to the lunnanizing and improving influence of our pro- 

 fession than to the system itself. Let us look a little at what may be consid- 

 ered tlie superintendent's spliere. 



As the first preliminary to the fair is the work of stirring up the exhibitors 

 and receiving and answering communications from them. Surely the former 

 is most effectively done by the one who can say to those whom he invites that 

 Avhatever is shown will be under his own immediate supervision ; and the latter 

 is best understood at large by the simple rule, "All communications should be 

 addressed to the Secretary." Tlicn, if department superintendents wish to 

 know the probable extent or character of the show in their department, the 

 Secretary will have the late.st data. Just before the fair conies the needed prep- 

 aration of the hall ; and here is one jdace wliere one man could do as well as 

 more; but it would be no onerous task to make it devolvent upon any one of 

 the otherwise much needed officers to attend to this one matter. For instance, 

 request the Superintendent of Fruit to make it his business to see that the hall 

 is in readiness, or even appoint in advance a resident member of the society as 

 a committee of one to attend to it. Tlie relative space occupied by the differ- 

 ent departments could be decided as well by department superintendents in con- 

 ference, and, if desired, with advice of President, as at present; and the sub- 

 division of the space of each department to the respective exhibitors certainly 

 belongs to the superintendent of that department, and not at all to a general 

 superintendent. 



Then, the '' Courtesy of the House," the distribution of the meal and en- 

 trance tickets to exhibitors, committees, and otlicers, would certainly be as 

 appro2)riately placed, primarily, in the hands of the Secretary or President, who 

 should supply the various officers and among others the superintendents, and 

 secondarily with these superintendents who s^hould distribute to those entitled 

 to them in their departments. 



And lastly, a General Superintendent's report in addition to re])orts of Sec- 

 retary and department superintendents is a nuisance requiring abatement. 

 The ground to be gone over is the same. Tiie only thing which the department 

 superintendents do not report upon, — their own merits, — tliougli for this year 

 a most prolific theme, is the proper work of the Secretary or President, and 

 thus as you see there is nothing left of the office which I have tried to till — but 

 ttie name. 



Very respectfullv, 



llENKY G. REYNOLDS. 



E. F. Guild of East Saginaw, who had charge of the Floral Exhibit at the 

 State Fair, made the following report of 



