84 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the horticultural life of this country can understand how much he has 

 done. 



There is a great blessing in connection with the growing of flowers. 

 Your mayor has seen the pleasure of the invalid in the gift of a flower, and 

 there is oftentimes afforded a pleasure equally great to the giver. We 

 grow fruits for profit, but we mainly grow flowers for the beauty and 

 pleasure they give to the world and the blessings they shower upon all 

 who receive them. They encourage the generosity of giving. The more 

 you pluck from a plant, the more bounteous its bloom. 



That we are glad to be in Adrian, that we are thankful for the warm 

 reception we have had, for the most entrancing music we have listened to 

 — that we are grateful for these, I am sure, must go without saying, and 

 I can not tell you how much pleasure we anticipate within the next two 

 days. 



ANNUAL MESSAGE. 



RY PRESIDENT ROLAND MORRILL OP BENTON HARBOR. 



Sometime in the past, someone without the fear of the future in his 

 heart, and without the fear ol ever holding the office of president of this 

 society, provided the president should deliver an annual message. What 

 it shall be, what it is for, I do not know. It is, I suppose, whatever comes 

 to the president's mind, and this year it is expected of me. It is a year 

 that is to me not very fruitful of themes. There is nothing very new. 

 so I will simply speak along lines and of facts that it seems to me we 

 should gather from the lessons of the past year, and perhaps some sug- 

 gestions that occur to me as being pertinent for future work. 



The state society, as you all understand, is a traveling institution. We 

 have no fixed place of abode. We hold our meetings where it seems best 

 and where we are invited. We generally have invitations ahead. The 

 object of our society's meeting in this manner is to encourage, or improve, 

 if possible, the horticulture of the locality in which we meet. 



We generally have some bright men with us, we usually bring some 

 bright men in from other states, who hold advanced ideas and bring 

 them to you. In the past this has been very difficult. We have been 

 compelled sometimes to strain our treasury to meet the expenses that are 

 naturally incident to such work. At present, as our secretary intimated 

 to you today, the state, seeing the work we are doing, looking upon it as 

 educational, has provided a small amount as an appropriation for con- 

 ducting this work. It can be drawn out of the state treasury for actual 

 expenses only. This is the second meeting we have held under that new 

 regulation. We hope that our efficiency will be greater from now on. 

 from the fact that In the past we have been compelled to use every effort 

 to get money into our treasury in order to meet these expenses, and 

 many a time our members have had to assist with not only their time and 

 expenses, but something else. However, that is gone by. and we feel 

 that the future is much brighter for us. 



