10 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



for the secretary and his assistants, the other for the treasurer and executive 

 committee meetings. 



Mr. Guild. — My experience has been that fruit men are the -worst to manage 

 in this matter of touching and moving specimens of fruit, and I see no way 

 onlv to keep men from liandling even tiieir own fruit after it is once in pUice. 



Mr. Lyon — I would have a rule rigidly enforced forbidding any person liand- 

 lin"- fruit except by authority or permission and have notice of the rule posted 

 Avhere all could not help but see it; one or two examples made of transgressors 

 would soon settle the wliole matter. 



Prof. Bcal. — I must recur once more to the matter of plants and flowers. 

 Thev show better bv massinfr, and llorists will be better satisfied if ffiven 

 an opportunity to exercise their skill in arranging plants so they will mutually 

 benefit each other. It seems to me in any plan this fact should not be over- 

 looked. 



]\Ir. Guild. — Mv suggestion concerning ]\[r. Chilson's plan, is that the 

 arrangement of shelving remain the same, but that the plants and ilowers 

 occupv a section across the middle of the hall, having special addition of 

 shelves to accommodate the massing of specimens, and then the exhibit, as 

 viewed from cither end of the hall, will have a background of plant and floral 

 decoration. I think this modification would please our plant growers. 



Various motions were made concerning Mr. Chilson's plan, and finally the 

 following substitute by Judge Lawton, was adopted: 



Hesolved, That the plan presented by Mr. Chilson commends itself to the 

 Society, and that in general terms we accept and adopt the draft and refer it 

 to the executive committee for such amendments in the details as they shall 

 see fit to make. 



The next subject — ^''What steps can be taken toward the 



or:namextatiox of couxtry school GEOUXDS,"' 

 was opened with an essay by W. C. Latta, of Mason, which we give in full : 



Though the ornamentation of school yards is outside this society's regular 

 line of work; though it is unpopular — something new, almost unheard of and 

 unthought of; though it smacks of extravagance, and will cost both time and 

 money with no return in kind ; yet, associated as it is with any true education,- 

 I offer no apology for coming before this body to urge the improvement and 

 embellishment of the school grounds of our rural districts. 



In beiialf of the alternately bleak and parched yards turned into commons 

 for the pasturage of vagrant cattle and swine ; in behalf of the heavy-footed 

 boys, and hoidenish girls only less noisy than the boys ; in behalf of the poor 

 benighted parents who can't see why in the world their children are so rough ; 

 and last, not least, in behalf of the careworn, disheartened teacher who daily 

 sweeps out shovelfuls of real estate, I desire to suggest some means of improv- 

 ing the appearance of the grounds of our country schools. 



.To men I am called on to speak to — a far too numerous class of individuals ; I 

 can hardly call them men — whose highest type of beauty is utility, and whose 

 ideas of economy are met in using the fire-shovel for poker and dustpan, I 

 should hold my peace. But there are others who are not continually harping 

 on how it was when they went to scliool ; men who see some utility in beauty, 

 and who desire to throw around their children anv influence and association 



