"94 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



be instructed to make a formal statement to Mr. Woodman of the position 

 of the society as relates to the commission. 



By motion Mr. Monroe was so instructed. 



Mr. Lyon submitted the following resolution: 



Resolved, That a committee of three or more persons be appointed by the chair to 

 prepare and present to the incoming legislature an application for an appropriation, of 

 not less than ten thousand dollars, to be expended under the direction of this society 

 in the preparation, placing, and conducting of a horticultural exhibit at the coming 

 Columbian Exhibition. 



The reading of this was greeted with cries of " Good!" and other mani- 

 festations of approval, and it was adopted by a unanimous vote. 



A categorical statement. 



At the evening session, in accordance with the vote of instruction, Mr. 

 Monroe made to Mr. Woodman the following statement: There is only 

 an amicable feeling on the part of this society toward the state commission, 

 but we have had no intimation from the commission that anything was 

 desired of us. We have discussed the fair at each recent meeting of the 

 society, and of course feel a deep interest in it. A committee (Messrs. 

 Garfield, Watkins, and myself) was sent one year ago to confer with the 

 commission, and we were courteously heard. We tried to show them why 

 horticulture should have special favor, because there is no money value in 

 a prize to an exhibitor, beyond the amount of the premium, and very much 

 labor is involved in preparation. But the commission emphasized the 

 fact that the appropriation is small, and urged that all work of preparation 

 must be done gratis, only pay for care of it in Chicago being given. We 

 told them how complete we desired to make the exhibit — to have it 

 embrace the trees, vines, and plants, as well as fruits in fresh, canned, dried, 

 and manufactured forms, including a very full supply of the fruits of 1893 

 in fresh condition, from the earliest to the latest. They at a later meeting 

 set aside $4,000, of which $1,000 were to be used for preparing trees and. 

 possibly, for removal of them to Chicago last fall. Yet payment for the 

 printing of circulars instructing in this work was made only after a per- 

 sonal appeal to Mr. Weston. I can fully corroborate Mr. Lyon as to his 

 having received instrucrions from the commission that no part of the 

 appropriation could be used for expenses of preparation. We sent out 

 circulars, and soon found that trees for the exhibit would be contributed, 

 but the persons offering them could not afford the expense of the boxes. 

 The commission for a long time refused to pay for these, and when they 

 relented it was too late. When they got around to the ordering of cans, 

 it was again too late. The commission has no horticulturist in its mem- 



