424 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE 



to wait for a recommendation from the Society. Some one else 

 might stock up with it, and he not derive any benefit from 

 priority, which wonld be wrong, and against progress, as it 

 would remove one of the inducements to improvement. 



Just how far a person, introducing a new sort, should be 

 protected, may not be an easy point to settle. 



It is probable, the time that will be required to enable the 

 Society to give a valuable decision will be the greatest obstacle 

 in the way of rendering a valuable service to the people 

 generally, as ifc Avill in the way of the hearty co-operation of 

 nurserymen. 



The occasional misleading of single tests will also be another 

 difficulty. These considerations, doubtless, suggest themselves 

 to the members of the Society, and ways may be devised by 

 which the difficulties will be, to a great extent, provided for. 



These are matters for careful consideration, and I sincerely 

 hope that whatever the Society may do, they may profit by the 

 partial failure of some other similar bodies, and be what is 

 needed, — an aggregation of practical knowledge that shall be 

 made attainable to the ''universal million."' 



There is a noble field of usefulness for the Society, if men 

 who can assist will drop all feelings of local or sectional jeal- 

 ousy and make it really a State institution, that shall be com- 

 prehensive in its scope, — that shall know no particular section, 

 except to study its peculiarities and promote its interests. If 

 I can do anything in the interest of such a society, I shall do 

 it with great satisfaction, and would rejoice to see men in all 

 parts of the State who have valuable expei'ience, take hold of 

 this matter to make it a success. The State, in its municipal 

 capacity, ought to do more than it is doing, and I hope the 

 Society, as it becomes larger and better known, will exert an 

 influence in that direction. Evening sessions of the Society 

 at time of the Fair, would have been desirable, for an inter- 

 change of views. I regretted that I could not stay to hear 

 Mr. Littlejohn's address. 



