204 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I have found it very difficult to explain in numberless cases that the earlier 

 reports of the society have been gathered in at no little expense, and are to be 

 used only as exchanges. If money could have bought the volumes of 1871-2- 

 3 and 4, at any reasonable figure, I should have had none to report to you, as 

 on hand at the close of the year ; but 1 have restricted their disbursement to 

 exchanges and the supplying of public institutions. 



Our library has been under the especial care, during the greater part of the 

 year, of Mr. Eli Bidelman of Lansing, ^vho kindly offered to do what he could 

 for the society in this v^ay, while a resident of Lansing, and through his influ- 

 ence auite a number of additions have been made. Inasmuch as the secretary, 

 unless a resident of Lansing, cannot have immediate charge of the library, I 

 suggest the desirability of appointing a librarian who lives in Lansing, and 

 can, without much trouble, look after the care of our property in the State 

 Capitol. 



OUR QUARTERLY MEETINGS. 



The winter meeting, held in Lansing, was well attended, and fraught with 

 good results. The conference with members of the legislature acquainted them 

 with our work and wishes, and without doubt had a favorable influence upon 

 legislation in the interests of horticulture. The display of fruit was better 

 arranged than ever before, and was the admiration of all who observed it. 



The Lansing Kepublican, although well crowded in its columns, made a very 

 full report of the proceedings of this meeting, which was copied largely by 

 l^apers in and out of the state. 



It was at this session that the society made its first record in full discus- 

 sions upon *^ Ornamenting Country School Grounds" and "The Farmer's 

 Vegetable Garden," discussions which have been quoted from during the en- 

 tire year, and which I believe are wedges that will help to cleave deeper into 

 these subjects at future sessions of the society. The June meeting convened 

 in Muskegon, and, although the attendance from abroad was as large as usual, 

 the local attendance was so light that very little value was attached to many of 

 the discussions. 



The most valuable results of these meetings comes from liberal discussions 

 of the topics presented, and these must be participated in by people of the im- 

 mediate locality in which the meeting is held, or a large part of the benefit is 

 lost — this because the topics are usually chosen with reference to the locality. 



The most animated discussion at this Muskegon meeting occurred in con- 

 nection with the fruit catalogue, in naming the position of the Wilson straw- 

 berry for market. At last the convention with unanimity asked the committee 

 on fruit catalogue to drop the Wilson from 10 to 9 as a market berry. It was 

 at this session that the first action was taken toward securing a session of the 

 American Pomological Society in Michigan. There was a general desire that 

 every legitimate step be taken to secure the meeting of 1881 at some point in 

 the state, and it is to be hoped that this desire may be seconded, in case we are 

 successful, by earnest work to make the session the best one that association 

 ever had, and thus we can take our rank as an earnest, liospitable, painstaking 

 people in all matters connected with the advancement of pomology. 



The annual meeting here in Allegan was in acceptance of an invitation sent 

 by the Allegan County Pomological Society. A similar invitation came from 

 Hillsdale county a little later, but the executive committee formally decided 

 it was better to go to Hillsdale in February, for the winter meeting, and 

 decided to recommend this action to their successors in office. 



