256 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Leaving in the treasurer's hands $20 00 



Or a total of cash 1,236 06 



In the hands of our treasurer $1,256 06 



Add life membership investments 2,000 00 



Gives $3,256 06 



as total net assets of the society, November 30, 1886. 



Your committee commend the simple yet comprehensive plan of keeping the recepts 

 and disbursements of the society. It gives in a small space, and without repetition, a 

 very complete history of its financial transactions. 



It is just to our worthy treasurer to say that, although poorly compensated, he deserves 

 well from the society for his painstaking care, and the liberal amount of time spent in 

 making the collections and disbursements of the society, investing the life membership 

 fund, collecting the interest, and otherwise looking after the financial interests of the 

 society. 



C. J. Monroe, 

 J. N. Stearns, 

 W. N. Cook. 

 THE HATCH BILL. 



The following was unanimously adopted. 



Resolved, That the Michigan State Horticultural society, in annual session assembled, 

 desires to express its hearty sympathy with the provisions of the congressional bill for 

 the establishment and support of state experiment stations in the several states of the 

 union, known as the "Batch bill," and urge that horticulturists of Michigan, as individ- 

 uals and in assembled associations, exert their influence in behalf of its passage. 



Pending the adoption of the resolution, President Willits explained the 

 provisions of the bill, and gave its history and his connection with those dele- 

 gated by the Agricultural College to urge its passage in the last congress. 



The following was adopted by a hearty vote: 



Resolved, That the Michigan State horticultural society urge upon our State board of 

 agriculture and state legislature, in providing for the management and maintenance of 

 our State agricultural college, to deal with the horticultural department liberally, plac- 

 ing it upon a foundation commensurate with the importance of horticulture among the 

 industries of our State. 



The lecture of the evening was upon: 



LIFE ON THE FARM. 

 BY DR. MANLY MILES, LANSING, MICH. 



In presenting the subject assigned me this evening there w^ll be no attempt 

 to entertain you with a glowing picture of the beauties and charms of rural 

 life and its surroundings, but your attention will be directed to some recent 

 contributions of science to practical agriculture. 



In the light of our present knowledge it is safe to say that in every depart- 

 ment of his business the success of the farmer depends upon the activities of 

 living organisms, embracing the highest and most complex forms, as well as 

 the simplest and most minute. 



My aim will be to show that the phenomena of life, under a wide range of 

 conditions, are intimately connected with every process and interest of the 

 farm. 



Biology — the science of life — has to do with all the phenomena manifested 

 by living matter, including the life history of every living organism. In its de- 

 departments of botany, zoology, anatomy, physiology and histology it has been 



