188 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



these particulars. If so, however, it is to be feared that he will find himself 

 embarrassed, if not thwarted, by a possible unwilling majority. 



There is, however, a power behind the throne— the governor and the legis- 

 lature — whose more natural inclination, if left to themselves, will be to enact 

 the wishes of the present management, and thus perpetuate the present status. 

 Go, therefore, to the executive and the legislature. Impress upon them, and 

 especially upon the committees of agriculture and horticulture, the difficulties 

 and the needs of the case, and urge that these committees especially make them- 

 selves familiar with the whole matter by a critical investigation of the facts 

 and circumstauces of the case. I insist, also, that at least one efficient and 

 capable horticulturist be placed upon the board to represent this important 

 interest, when a vacancy shall occur. 



The field of labor is steadily widening before the society as the years pass. 

 The amount received from the State Agricultural Society enables it to do little, 

 if any work, beyond that required to fairly and properly fulfil the engage- 

 ments. While the State and county agricultural societies have their transac- 

 tions published and distributed gratuitously by the State, and the latter in addi- 

 tion receive pecuniary assistance from the counties, the State Horticultural 

 Society receives from the State barely the paper, printing, and binding of its 

 annual volume, while the collecting of the matter, and the editing and distri- 

 bution of the volumes must be provided for by the society. With the little, 

 so often grudgingly paid, in half-dollar membership fees, this, even in addition 

 to the secretary's salary, is only accomplished under difficulty, and with con- 

 stant watchfulness not to allow the balance to get upon the wrong side of the 

 ledger. 



In thus conducting the operations of the society, a large amount of gratui- 

 tous labor is done, not only by members of the executive board, but also by oth- 

 ers not officially connected with the society. Beyond all this, occasions not 

 unfrequently arise which call for increased labor and expense, but which are 

 necessarily refused, as involving more labor or expense than can reasonably be 

 undertaken under the circumstances. Among these may be mentioned the 

 importance of the development of a better knowledge of the horticultural 

 •capabilities of the newer counties of the Lower Peninsula, as well as that of 

 the Lake Superior region, and the collecting of more full and accurate statistics 

 of the orcharding and orchard and garden products of the State, as well as the 

 collecting of more correct and complete information respecting the true char- 

 acter and actual capabilities of the unsettled and unimproved lands of the 

 State — information that could be secured with comparative ease if means were 

 at hand to enable the society to extend its system of local or branch societies — 

 or their partial equivalent, local agencies — into newer portions of the State, a 

 result not difficult to accomplish, with the means to put a traveling agent into 

 the field. 



It will be observed that several of the matters already referred to, bear more 

 or less directly upon matters of legislation. It is therefore suggested that these 

 be given in charge of a committee, to whom may be assigned all questions hav- 

 ing such bearing. 



A bill was introduced in the lower house of Congress at the last session, by 

 Hon. W. W. Hatch of Missouri, providing for the establishment and equip- 

 ment of an experiment station in each of the States and territories, in con- 

 nection with agricultural colleges, with arrangements to secure concerted 

 action, with aggregation of results. Although the movement is more espe- 



