V»' INTER MEETING, 1879. 05 



associate so intimately with that of shelter belts and forest growths for pro- 

 tection, and the small fruits so naturally coalesce or mix up with kitchen and 

 ornamental gardeniuG^, that it seems hardly ])ossible to even consider the one, 

 while wholly omitting tiie other; to say nothing of tlie notorious fact that few 

 devotees of either, fail to develo)) more or less liking for and practice of both. 



To learn how earnestly and elfectively the society has endeavored to acquit 

 itself in the discharge of these duties, we only need to refer to the transactions 

 of the eight years now past since its organization; merely premising tliat these, 

 copious as they are, convey but a faint idea of the actual amount of self-sacri- 

 ficing labor of which they are the recorded result. Within these years the 

 society (in September, 1875) in a year of great and general scarcity, at the 

 behest of the State, through the Legislature and the then Governor "(John J. 

 Bairlev) undertook the task of coUectins: and exhibitino- at the biennial meet- 

 ing of the American Pomological Society, at Chicago, a general display of the 

 fruits of the State. Again, in 18 70, the Society responded to the call of the 

 State Centennial Commission, and in obedience to its recpiest, undertook the 

 onerous task of gathering together and dispatching to the Centennial exhibition, 

 a collection of fruits adequate to enable the State to take the highest rank 

 among the competing States; which collection it maintained in perfect con- 

 dition by continued renewals, till the close of the exposition in November. 

 Those who were careful readers of the current news of that period, need hardly 

 be told, that both the exhibit of the previous year's fruit in May, and that of 

 the current year's crop in September and October, attracted great attention 

 from residents of both Europe and America; with valuable results in the way 

 of directing the attention of the more intelligent class of emigrants to our 

 State. In justice to the multitude of contributors to these exhibits, it should 

 be kept in mind that the whole was supplied gratuitously, and with no possible 

 hope of remuneration, either direct or remote, beyond the gratification of a 

 feeling of State pride. 



The impression had for some time been growing upon the society that the 

 mere framing of lists of fruits to be recommended for general cultivation, was 

 of doubtful benefit; since such lists were rarely made the basis of selections by 

 planters. To remedy this failure, in whole or in part, a plan has been devised 

 for the preparation of a catalogue of the fruits grown in the State, so classified 

 as to indicate the localities in which they have been tested, and giving their 

 relative values for dessert, cooking and market, respectively ; with such addi- 

 tional remarks as shall more fully or perfectly indicate the value of each 

 variety; thus supplying the planter desiring to select his varieties for a specific 

 purpose, with the means to select wisely from those known and proved in the 

 State. 



It is intended to subject sucli catalogue to annual revision, in the light of 

 added experience — such revision to appear in the succeeding year s transactions ; 

 the whole to be done upon the basis of information collected by a standing 

 committee, with assistant chairmen located in the various sections of the State. 

 The society has also under consideration the proposition to provide for the issue 

 of an additional edition of such catalogue in pamphlet form, for more extensive 

 circulation, both at home and abroad. 



Through the voluntary aid of several of the faculty of the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, the society has from time to time been enabled to afford to its members 

 in common with other attendants upon its sessions, much valuable information 



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