PROCEEDINGS. 151 



very hardy. The double-flowering altheas will probably need some pro- 

 tection; but anything that is even hardy will go through much better if 

 they are mulched, so the plant will take up moisture during the winter. 

 I cannot be sure that the althea is hardy enough to stand all winters 

 of all kinds, but it has stood it upon our farms. 



Mr. C. S. Harrison: I think here in Nebraska we neglect our native 

 shrubs. Take the Wahoo or Euonymus; it is covered with brilliant red 

 berries in the fall as soon as the leaves fall, and makes a pretty sight, 

 with its gorgeous berries; then we have the Symphoricarpus vulgaris, 

 or buckberry, which grows in the Republican valley; it grows to a 

 height of three feet and is covered with an immense number of purple 

 berries, making it very ornamental. Then we have the black hawe, 

 which is a very showy thing in the fall; it is full of foliage and well 

 worthy of our attention. 



There is the Spirea aguta; it blooms the first thing in the spring 

 and is the last thing to lose its leaves. The leaves hang on until 

 January. It is a perfect flower garden of itself with its mass of colored 

 leaves. 



I want to say a word for the althea. I think the close planting makes 

 the better appearance; if you cut it within six inches of the ground 

 they will come up and give you a dense mass of foliage and bloom 

 just at a time when you most want it. 



Mr. Brown: Those remarks I can verify. I recollect something 

 along this line that came under my observation at St. Louis; they cut 

 the altheas there, and they came up and made the prettiest plantation 

 of altheas I ever saw. 



Mr. Marshall: I notice we have with us this morning Mr. Swayger, 

 the superintendent of parks of the Union Pacific railroad. We would 

 be glad to hear from him. 



Mr. Swayger: You will have to excuse me. 



The President: Don't be bashful, Mr. Swayger, we know you can 

 tell us something and we want you to. I know Mr. Swayger feels as 

 if he were a stranger here, but we would like him to feel at home. 



The President: The time has arrived for the election of officers as 

 set by the Constitution. 



Mr. Green: I have the report of the Secretary and Treasurer. 



The President: I guess we will have to give way to that. 



Mr. Green: Your committee have carefully examined and audited 

 the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer and find them correct. 



The President: You have heard the report of the committee; what 

 will you do with the report? 



On motion the report was accepted. 



The President: We will now take up the election of officers. The 

 first is the election of a President. 



Nominations were called for, and resulted in the election of H. S. 

 Harrison, of York, for President; Charles G. Saunders, of Omaha, First 



