16S STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



two or more consecutive meetings, shall be treated as a withdrawal or resigna- 

 tion ; authorizing the board to declare a vacancy, and to proceed to fill the 

 same, by appointment, for the remainder of the term. We suggest that the 

 society take into consideration the propriety of so amending its constitution 

 and by-laws (one or both, as may be found necessary), as to provide for similar 

 action of our executive committee, in cases in which it shall seem needful. 



On motion of Secretary Garfield, the society selected a committee in whose 

 charge the president's address was placed, with instructions to report methods 

 of carrying out the suggestions therein contained. 



The meeting selected as such committee Chas. W. Garfield, Grand Kapids; 

 S. B. Mann, Adrian, and Byron Markham, Saugatuck. 



The second topic for discussion, as announced on the programme, was next 

 taken up. 



INFLUENCE OF LOCAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES UPON 



COMMUNITIES. 



W. A. Brown, Stevensville. — I have no paper but will arise in my place and 

 say a few words to open this discussion. In general terms 1 would commend 

 most heartily the work that may be done by a local horticultural society; one 

 of the best illustrations of the benefit of sucli an organization we have at 

 South Haven, where the fruit growers get together nearly every week to com- 

 pare views and institute measures for their common good. In Berrien county, 

 had there been a good working society of that character, our peach interest 

 would not have been simply a matter of history to-day. Our peach orchards, 

 desolated by the yellows, are a standing argument for united action for their 

 preservation in other localities. It is by and through the means of fruit 

 growers bound together in an association that it is possible to enforce such a 

 practical law as the yellows enactment. 



H. C. Sherwood, Watervliet. — I am not a member of a local horticultural 

 society, but my observation has taught me that those fruit growers who get 

 together from week to week, as the operations connected with their work change 

 in the season, reap great benefits thereby, and each one has the advantage of 

 all the best thoughts and methods of all his neighbors in the same business. 

 Fruit growers, to succeed, must keep their eyes open, and the more of them 

 that arelookinu: in unison the better results will follow. 



A. G. Gulley, South Haven. — I can speak for the South Haven Pomological 

 Society. For eight years it has held weekly meetings, there being scarcely any 

 intermission. It is at the foundation of the peculiar success of our locality. 

 It is through its influence that people are educated to important methods of 

 action. We have a large membersliii) ; the members are scarcely ever all there, 

 but at each meeting there are enough present to maintain the interest. Our 

 discussions are all reported in the weekly paper and give it a characteristic 

 feature. There is no danger of each man losing his identity as a fruit grower 

 by having common methods of action with other men. One thing is certain, 

 we never could have made our yellows law effective without the unity of action 

 which has resulted from our local or2:anization. Bv means of it we hvin<r a 

 pressure to bear that cannot be withstood. 



Joseph Lannin, South Haven. — A few years ago I began to plant out fruit 

 trees, and knew nothing more of fruit culture than I did of railroading. It 

 was during the second vear thereafter that our societv held a meetins; at which 



