SS ANNUAL REPORT 



MONDAY, January 16, 1882,-2 p. m. 



Pursuant to notice, the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota State 

 Horticultural Society, convened in the new Board of Trade rooms, 

 Minneapolis, Minn., at the appointed time. President J. S. Harris in 

 the chair. Mayor Rand, who was unavoidably absent, was represented 

 b}' Col. J. H. Stevens, who welcomed the Society to Minneapolis as 

 follows : 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



Mr. Premlent, Ladies and Oentlemen of tJie Society : In hcliriif (ff Mayor liand, who, 

 I regret to say, is confined to liis home to-day b}- illness, I hid you a cordial wel- 

 come to our eit}', the citizens of which recognize the noble efforts you have made 

 and demonstrated in the all-important industry of horticulture. They liave always 

 lent a friendly hand to your society, and they earnestly wish you success in your 

 laudable work. It affords me much pleasure to extend to you their hospitality 

 during your delilierations, in which they feel snch a deep and lasting interest. 



The ijresident of the society, .T. S. Harris, of La Crescent, responded to Col. 

 Stevens as follows : 



"Agriculture has been styled the noblest occupation of man. But for it the 

 liumau family would be a race of barljarians subsisting In' pillage, and warring 

 upon every otlier species. 'J'here would have Ijeen no cities, no beautiful habita- 

 tions of man, no great steamers plying the oceans and carrying our produce' 

 throughout the world, no railroads binding the ends of the continent together in 

 bands of steel that cannot be broken; the lightning would not have been tamed 

 and made the servant of man throughout the civilized world. Horticulture is the 

 poetry of agriculture. It not onlj- makes up a portion of our commercial prosper- 

 ity ,as does agriculture ; it Ijeautifies our homes, gi,ves us innumerable luxuries, and 

 conduces to the growth of taste, and refinement and intelligence. One who loves 

 horticulture cannot lie a very bad nian. 



We love Minneapolis, and are heartily glad to accept your cordial welcome. 

 Many times before have vou extended to us your hospitality, and we feel that 

 your constant cordiality is one of the causes of our prosperity. Again we thank 

 you for vour welcome. 



At the conclusion of the above i-esponse President Harris read bis opening 

 address as follows : 



PRESIDENT HARRIS'. ADDRESS. 



Mmnbers and Friends of the Minnesota State Uorticultural Society: Once more we 

 have assembled in convention in this beautiful city, the Queen City of tlie North- 

 west, under circumstances auspicious for a pleasant and profitable meeting. A 

 beneficent Providence has smiled upon our State and prospered her various indus- 

 tries, and all the people have al)undant cause for entering upon the new year with 

 rejoicing. The hateful locust has not again devastated our fields, and no pestilence 

 has stalked al)road striking terror to the heart and leaving a trail of death and 

 sorrow^ in its coimse; but our fiocks and herds have brought their increase and the 

 earth has yielded up her fruits to the tillers of the soil so that we have enough an 



