PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 



HELD AT HART, FEB. 26 AND 27, 1896. 



Remarkably pleasant weather helped greatly to make a pronounced 

 success of the winter meeting of the society, held at Hart, Oceana 

 county, the 26th and 27th of February. These dates, however, prevented 

 the expected attendance of Prof. John Craig of Ontario experiment sta- 

 tion and Mr. J. H. Hale of South Glastonbury, Conn., the famous peach- 

 grower, who much desires to meet his fellow-hoiticulturists of Michi- 

 gan. The dates also excluded the Agricultural college people, who were 

 unable to absent themselves at the very beginning of the new school 

 year. Nevertheless, there was abundance of good papers, and more than 

 the usual number of questions, the discussion of the latter being a very 

 prominent feature of the meeting. 



The people of Hart provided everything requisite to the comfort and 

 pleasure of the visitors. The court-house was the place of meeting, and 

 it was at all times in fine order for the occasion. Music, both vocal and 

 instrumental, was in abundant supply, while the townsmen no less than 

 the farmers exerted themselves to make agreeable as well as profitable 

 the time of their guests. The attendance was large, often filling the court- 

 room to its utmost capacity. 



At a session of the executive board, the resignation of Charles W. Gar- 

 field was presented and accepted, Mr. R. D. Graham of Grand Rapids 

 being appointed to fill the vacancy. This was done with much reluc- 

 tance, so far as acceptance of Mr. Garfield's resignation was concerned, 

 but his reasons were so urgent, and his twenty years of ofiQcial service 

 had been so faithfully rendered, that concurrence with his wishes were 

 unavoidable. 



Reports of the standing committees were as follows: 



