PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 



HELD IN LANSING, JANUARY 31 AND FEBRUARY 1, 18S1. 



It was thought desirable by the Executive Board to give the winter meeting 

 entirely up to matters of business, inasmuch as these things had been neglected 

 in the carrying out of several previous programmes. Tiie meeting was called 

 for the last day of January, and ttiere were present the entire Executive Board 

 (except Mr. Gibson), and a number of the members of the society. 



The first session was in the evening, and was held in the Pioneer room of 

 the State capitol. The niinutes, of the last njeeting of the Executive Board 

 ■were read and approved, after which the question of 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR REPORTS 



was suggested by the Secretary as a proper one for discussion, and one upon 

 which he would like the advice of the society. He said several articles had 

 appeared in the State press criticising severely the action of the society in not 

 sending out the volumes for 1879 as usual to any one who would pay the freight 

 on the boxes. Even conventions of agriculturists had censured us because we 

 were not more liberal with the volumes. In the distribution, the Secretary 

 said he had been acting under instructions from the Executive Board, and per- 

 sonally was well satisfied with the plan. The local branch societies should take 

 the responsibility of the distribution wherever these were organized, and in the 

 course of a few years these organizations would be established in every county 

 where the volumes were needed, provided we are allowed to continue this plan. 

 That is, the volumes themselves under proper restrictions and regulations as to 

 their distribution will accomplish the work of sustaining the branch societies, 

 and in time the most valuable material for sustaining the high character of the 

 reports will be furnished by the societies. 



It is not the policy of the State to furnish the volumes to every person within 

 its borders, but rather to furnish the information to the people who most need 

 it, who will best use it in the interests of the State. 



The Secretary remarked further : "Our interpretation of the requirements for 

 the distribution, it seems to me, is a most proper one in that we do not give the 

 volumes out to all who will hold out their liands to receive them ; but require 

 that the recipient shall do something to render the appropriation of the State 

 more effective. Our State has peculiar capabilities in the field of horticulture. 

 We know it. We desire the world should know it. There is no more effective 

 way of spreading the intelligence than by securing the testimony of actual, 



