28 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The following books have been donated to the library and received through 

 exchanges during the year: 



HORTICULTURAL REPORTS. 



Ohio State Horticultural Society (1889). 

 Massachusetts State Horticultural Society (1889). 

 Iowa State Horticultural Society (1889). 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society (1889). 

 Missouri State Horticultural Society (1890). 

 Indiana State Horticultural Society (1889). 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society (1890). 

 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society (1890). 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



Kansas State Board of Agriculture (1890). 

 Connecticut Board of Agriculture (1890). 

 Maine Board of Agriculture (1890). 

 Agriculture of Pennsylvania (1890). 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The American Association Nurserymen (1890). 



Schedule of Prizes of Massachusetts Horticultural Society (1891). 



Kansas State Crop Reports (1891). 



Respectfully submitted, 



T. H. Forster, Librarian. 



The society next listened to the subjoined paper by Mr. Robert L. 

 Hewitt of Lansing, upon 



A NEW PLAN FOR GATHERING CROP STATISTICS. 



" The programme says I am to read a paper on a plan for gathering 

 horticultural statistics." This is true, but only in the sense that the lesser 

 is always included in the greater. It is my business this afternoon to try 

 to develop a feasible plan for collecting statistics of the productions of 

 Michigan farms. The productions of Michigan farms include not only 

 cereal crops, livestock, and wool, but also apples and peaches and small 

 fruits and garden truck. Any plan for the collection of statistics of farm 

 crops that does not include every one of these crops is defective and the 

 statistics collected under any such plan would be incomplete. 



This is an age of statistics. The honest and careful legislator is con- 

 stantly referring to statistics, and making them the basis of his actions, 

 while his dishonest or careless colleague who ignores statistics, votes upon 

 a large percentage of legislative measures in blind ignorance. Every line 

 of business is more or less dependent for success upon statistical data. 

 Competition is now so intense, and the margin of profit so small, that the 

 slightest error in calculation may lead to bankruptcy. Hence it should 

 occasion no surprise that the intelligent business man exhausts every 

 resource to make himself fully acquainted with all facts relating to his 

 business. True and accurate statistics are a compilation of facts, and are 

 usually presented in tabular form. Such facts, presented, in such form, 

 are what the business man is seeking, what he must have. 



The business man has little interest in theories. He may at times be 

 entertained by them, he may even receive valuable suggestions from them, 

 but he bases his actions on solid facts, whenever such are to be obtained. 

 In all commercial transactions the most important facts are those relating 



