162 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



stock of information. I wish the society might assist the secretary in this mat- 

 ter, that the work maybe continued toits completion. Every county in the State 

 should be represented in this history. Our volumes are the appro]:»riate place 

 in which to store this information for future reference, and I trust during next 

 year a good deal of progress may bo recorded in this work. 



THE VOLUME FOR 18S0. 



Our report for 18S0 was not printed and bound until July; a number of un- 

 pleasant things occurred to defer its publication, the enumeration of which 

 would do no good now. The general index, which was a long and arduous 

 work, has received favorable notices everywhere. Michigan Flora, furnished 

 by Messrs. Wheeler and Smith, is a valuable contribution to Michigan botany 

 and horticulture, and will be used for reference a great deal. The volume is 

 the largest one issued by the society (on account of the two contributions just 

 mentioned), which I admit is not commendable. I was tempted, when I learned 

 the amount of space required for the index and flora, to leave out the secretary's 

 portfolio, and consulted with leading members of the society, all of whom 

 counseled against it, 



OUR MEMBERSHIP. 



I feel it a duty, whenever opportunity offers, to say a word about our mem- 

 bership. We shall have but a little over a hundred annual members this 

 season — aside from those taken by branch societies, and nearly all of these net 

 us but seventy-five cents each, because a volume is sent post-paid with each 

 certificate, unless as in the case of our friends Buell, of Kalamazoo, and Town, 

 of Barry; wo send all books in bulk at their expense, and they return us the 

 members, which is certainly not very profitable to them. I am weekly receiving 

 letters inquiring for our earlier volumes, which are gone (except a few that 

 have been gathered for purposes of exchange). NoW; I apprehend that this 

 demand will increase, and the very men who are indifferent about our volumes 

 to-day in ten years from now will be trying every possible way to get them. 

 We ought to have a thousand annual members in Michigan — outside of local 

 societies — in place of the hundred we now have. There are plenty of men who 

 would like our volumes if the books could be handed to them in their homes 

 annually, and would gladly pay the annual fee. I have wondered if it would 

 not be for the good of our horticulturists that we adopt the methods of enter- 

 prising book firms and go into the field after subscribers. We have now one 

 hundred and sixty-six life members, which gives us a fund of $1,6G0. We 

 certainly should not let a year go by without having this fund increased. The 

 interest upon it helps carry on o'ur enterprise, and this fund is working for us 

 night and day. 



EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS. 



There have been but four meetings of the board during the year, as follows: 

 Lansing, February 1; Lansing, June 2; Benton Harbor, June 9 ; Jackson, 

 September 32. The first meeting had to do with matters of legislation prin- 

 cipally ; the second meeting was for the purpose of visiting the Agricultural 

 College in acceptance of an invitation extended by State Board of Agriculture; 

 the third meeting was largely for the purpose of considering matters connected 

 with the exhibit of Michigan products in Boston ; and the September session 

 was upon State fair matters. 



