60 t STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



having thoroughly trained teachers. We have our Agricultural college, 

 which is doing a great work in this line and doing it well, but we have no , 

 help for the vast mass of common-school students. But this is bound to 

 come some time. The people will demand teachers who will instruct the 

 boys and girls in the affairs of their everyday life, not from big books but 

 by plain talk. 



Vice-President Garfield responded, commending especially the ideas 

 advanced by Dr. Angell concerning horticultural instruction in the 

 schools. 



secretary's annual report. 



How Michigan horticulturists feel when they have secured a full crop of 

 fruit, or even when they have one of good general average, it has not been 

 my fortune to know since becoming secretary of this society. The past 

 four years have been years of failure and disaster, not to the fruits alone, 

 but to the trees and plants as well, no season showing nearly a full crop of 

 more than one or two kinds of fruit and they not the most important. 

 What the results of the past year were, and what are the present condi- 

 tions, will be shown here by a series of rejDorts which I have planned, 

 embracing the principal fruit centers of the state. It will be far from an 

 encouraging state of affairs which they will depict; and yet no one seems 

 to be discouraged nor to lose faith in Michigan as a horticultural region 

 second to none in the land for variety and excellence of product and mar- 

 gin of profit to the fruitgrower. 



The same admirable spirit of perseverance has been manifested by the 

 members of this society in its welfare and advancement, and the year closes 

 with the society in better condition in several respects. 



At our meeting one year ago it was voted to adopt the auxiliary system 

 of membership of local societies in the state society, and your secretary 

 was charged with its re-establishment. In connection with this was the 

 plan of cooperation with the pomological division of the department of 

 agriculture. This was arranged readily, the department agreeing to rec- 

 ognize this society as its representative in Michigan, supplying its bulle- 

 tins and other publications to all our members. However, there seems to 

 have been a dearth of publications since that time, for all I have received 

 is a small sack of back-number pamphlets. These were distributed, and 

 probably the near future will yield an increased supply and one of more 

 A'alue as to timeliness. 



The most notable accession of the year, to our auxiliary list, was the 

 association of Michigan manufacturers of fruit goods, who at their Janu- 

 ary meeting unanimously voted to join us as an auxiliary. New horticult- 

 ural societies have been formed in Port Huron, Ionia, and Sanilac Center, 

 during the year, and there will doubtless jjresently be one at Tawas City. 

 Interest in fruitgrowing is rapidly increasing along the Huron shore, 

 and surprising accounts of success with the apple, pear, plum, and small 

 fruits are given. All district and county horticultural societies in the 

 state, save two, recognize the auxiliary relation to the state society, and 

 seem to be heartily interested in its success. Much more could be done 

 in creating new societies and strengthening old ones were the state society 



