PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING 



HELD IN LANSING, MICHIGAN, MARCH 23 AND 24, 1891. 



The March meeting of the State Horticultural society was called chiefly 

 to consider several bills in the legislature, relating to horticultural interests, 

 as well as the part Michigan horticulturists should have in the World's 

 Fair. 



The first session was held on Monday evening, the 23d, and was opened 

 by President Lyon with a brief account of his journey to the west last 

 winter, visiting several state societies in the interests of the pomological 

 division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, on the topic, 



PENDING LEGISLATION. 



Mr. C. W. Gaefield was first called out. He said that as to the World's 

 Fair, Senator Doran has a bill appropriating money for a horticultural 

 exhibit, but it would probably be absorbed by a general appropriation for 

 all the state's interests, and this society has already indicated its willing- 

 ness to have horticulture take its chances for representation in that bill 

 and a fair share of the fund by it provided. Another bill proposes to do 

 away with the state forestry commission. This should not pass. That 

 commission did good work with the small amount of money provided. 

 We can not at present do such a great work as New York is undertaking 

 in the preservation of the Adirondack region, but to do away with the 

 commission would be to place us back where we were before, wholly 

 dependent upon voluntary effort to educate the public and otherwise 

 advance the interests of forest preservation or establishment. Still 

 another bill proposes to abolish the weather service. This has done and 

 is doing very much to help the farmers and fruitgrowers in various ways, 

 and is now making special efforts in our interest, in such matters as 

 records of temperature and rainfall throughout the state. It was early 

 efforts in this direction by this society, that had very much to do with 

 establishment and advance of horticulture in this state. 



