REPORTS OF DISTRICT AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. 527 



was brought up by President Garfield, andinthe discussion which followed, 

 Livingston's Favorite was given the preference over the Acme, and, indeed, 

 over all other varieties, for productiveness, smoothness, both marketable 

 and table qualities. Alfred Hama advocated later planting of the seed 

 than usual, of both peppers and tomatoes. W. N. Cook corroborated the 

 statement that late-sown seeds and rapid-growing plants were the decider- 

 atum for early fruit. 



President Grafield read the invitations from the several members to 

 hold meetings at their homes during the year, and they were referred to 

 the executive committee to make up the schedule for the year's meetings. 

 He then gave his annual address, as follows: 



Ladies and Gentlemen: — Our society was organized in 1872, since which time monthly 

 meetings have been held with creditable regularity. There have been ebbs and flows 

 in the interest and enthusiasm manifested, but today the organization is stronger than 

 •ever before. There have been great changes in membership and officers, and the suc- 

 cess of the society has been due to the disinterested efforts of a few people. The 

 ■questions will come up occasionally. " What have we got to show for all this expendi- 

 ture of energy ? " " Has the effort paid ? " On the debit side are the labors of the 

 officers and members to make the meetings interesting and valuable; the annual fees 

 that have been paid in by members; the sacrifices that have been made to attend; the 

 losses engendered by absence from business to attend the meetings and duties imposed 

 by the society. 



On the credit side we have the good times we have enjoyed with friends whose sym- 

 pathies and labors are in accord with our own; the information we have acquired by 

 contact with people who know more about somethings than we do; the brightening of 

 •our own views and methods by rubbing up against our neighbors ; the crystalizing into 

 better form our own ways of doing, through the stimulus of imparting correct inform- 

 ation to our friends; the gathering by absorption of better ways of management, by 

 seeing the methods our neighbors are using; the broadening of our lives by a knowl- 

 edge of what others are doing, and the development of more defined views of the 

 means to success and satisfaction in life, thus becoming better fitted to enjoy life and 

 aid others in its enjoyment. 



How does it look to you ? Has it paid to maintain this society ? Could not we 

 swell the credit side to even more considerable proportions by giving a little more 

 thought and attention to the work of the society ? Activity with good purposes brings 

 its own reward. 



We can not go amiss in making the most of the days as they come to us, and the 

 mere attainment of a livelihood is simply the first course in the foundation of real life. 

 I feel that the freedom with which* in our society, we impart the information from our 

 own experience which will aid others to a larger measure of success, or prevent them 

 from making mistakes that lie in the way of success, is enough excuse for a continued 

 existence. Our own lives are enriched and ennobled just in the proportion that we 

 strive to assist our fellows. I have no sympathy nor patience with the method that 

 brings emoluments in proportion to the ignorance of others. 



Our meetings make a model school, at which we all willingly attend and seek the 

 information we wish. There is no compulsion, no straight-jacket method, simply the 

 most delightful means of acquiring information that, while aiding business and pro- 

 moting happiness, adds to the general fund of information and aids in the general 

 growth of the community. 



We who live in the country and have to deal with nature's processes, which are the 

 source of material wealth, are apt to forget that we are in the midst of a great uni- 

 versity, with numerous courses of study before us, and the means for a broad educa- 

 tion within our grasp. The question constantly confronts us, shall we sacrifice this 

 education because we are not willing to look further than the acquirement of means to 

 maintain existence? If our society can aid us to wider and more liberal views of 

 nature's processes, to an appreciation of her beautiful forms, to the utilization of the 

 knowledge of nature's methods in adding to our equipment for getting satisfaction out 

 of the life that is given us, it is worth the expenditure of a large measure of energy in 

 its maintenance. 



I am not certain but in promoting the objects of our society, and interesting our 

 children in the principles and practice that form the basis of success in horticulture, 

 we may not be accomplishing as much in developing them for their life work as by 



