THE ANNUAL MEETING. 193 



At the evening session tlie election of officers for tlie next biennial term was 

 held, resulting in the re-election of all tlie old incumbents, with tlie single 

 exception of treasurer. Thomas P. James having declined a re-election, E. 

 W. Buswell, of Boston, was elected to that position. Prof. W. J. Bcal, of our 

 State, was also placed upon the Executive Committee. 



After the election the address of President Wilder was (in his absence) read 

 by Dr. Warder, Following the address of Col. Wilder the new treasurer read 

 the report of his jn'edecessor who had held the position for twenty years; 

 whereupon a vote of thanks was tendered him for his long and efficient services 

 in this capacity. 



Mr. Thomas Meehan, who had been announced as one of the persons to 

 address the society, was called upon and responded with an oral address which 

 opened with a reference to the fable of the man who, in pondering over the 

 processes of nature, complained that a feeble vine was compelled to sustain a 

 plethoric pumpkin, while the mighty oak is only assigned the work of produc- 

 ing an acorn ; but when he came to feel the impact of a tiny acorn, dropping 

 upon his head from the branches of the oak, he was impelled to consider the 

 effect upon himself had a pumpkin descended in its stead. ^Vitli an infer- 

 ence from this as to the ability of man to wisely interpret many of the pro- 

 cesses of nature he proceeded to consider some of the occult processes by means 

 of which she conducts her operations in the reproduction of plants ; dwelling 

 especially upon the profusion with which the pollen of the chestnut is pro- 

 duced, and calling attention to the apparent fact that this pollen all falls 

 before the female flowers open. He farther remarked that the real plant of 

 the mushroon grows below ground — that above ground being the blossom ; and 

 that the plant may be propagated indefinitely by cuttings. Kemarks were 

 farther made respecting possible ulterior purposes to be subserved by the profu- 

 sion of pollen. The idea was advanced that the great object of the Creator in 

 the constitution of sexuality in plants is the attainment of variation. lie also 

 combatted the idea that the scarcity of insects to fertilize the bloom is the 

 cause of poor crops of fruit. He thought that the feeding or starving of the 

 plant, through the soil, had more to do in occasioning good or poor crops of 

 fruit. Prof. Beal, of Michigan, thought the reason why apple trees fail of 

 good crops when they blossom fully is to be sought in defective pollen or 

 stigmas. 



At the close of Mr. Meehan' s address the society adjourned till the next 



mornmg. 



The meeting on Thursday morning was called to order by Dr. Warder, who 

 introduced Mr. P. Barry, of Pochester, first vice president, who then took the 

 chair and presided over the session. 



The report of J. J. Thomas, of the committee on synonyms and rejected 

 fruits, received, was accepted and ordered published. 



Prof. Beal, of Michigan, was called for and read a paper on ''The Peculi- 

 arities of Flowers in Apples," which he illustrated by reference to diagrams of 

 the different organs of the flower, enlarged. The idea brought out by this 

 paper seems to be that these organs, or at least some of them, vary character- 

 istically in different varieties ; but that they are distinct and invariable in the 

 same variety to such extent that they supply a trustworthy medium for the 

 identification of varieties. 



To our apprehension there is probably very much of truth in this conclusion 

 of the professor, although, unfortunately, it can be utilized but for a few days- 



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