secretary's annual report for 1905. 2 1 



We are under obligations to hundreds of members for assist- 

 ance in obtaining this appropriation and especially to the chairman 

 of the executive board, Mr. Wyman Elliot, and Prof. S. B. Green, 

 who were there in attendance with the secretary and gave personal 

 attention to every phase of the effort to secure this legislation. As 

 far as we know there was no opposition in the legislature to either 

 of these appropriations. It is a splendid record to say that during 

 the past fifteen years, on the several occasions it has been necessary 

 to ask the legislature for money, that no member of the legislature 

 has knowingly voted in opposition to any of the measures presented 

 by the society for this purpose. The increase in the number of 

 printed reports will permit a material increase in the membership. 

 As to what limits this increase will reach, it will depend in large 

 part on the interest of the membership therein. 



The Webb Fund has been drawn on this year to the extent of 

 $27.50, leaving $72.50 in the hands of the secretary. This fund, it 

 will be remembered, was practically contributed by Mr. E. A. Webb, 

 of the "Farmer," to be used in suitably decorating the horticultural 

 class room at the experiment station with portraits of eminent horti- 

 culturists, etc. The Gideon Memorial Fund, including interest in 

 the savings bank, has reached the net amount of $253.05. It was 

 decided at the meeting of the board in June to make an appro- 

 priation to bring this amount up to $500 and deposit this sum with 

 the Board of Regents of the State University for the purposes 

 originally designated : That is, the interest of this fund to be used 

 as prizes to students in the Horticultural Department of the Agri- 

 cultural School. 



One local horticultural society has been added to the list of 

 auxiliary horticultural societies in our state, that at Willmar, making 

 the aggregate number six. Every encouragement is offered in this 

 office to localities where a desire is expressed to create these local 

 organizations, and we hope for a material increase in the number, 

 although the difficulty of maintaining interest in them for any long 

 period, making them active and useful tc their members and the 

 locality where they are situated, is fully apparent to those who 

 have had experience in this direction. Of these societies this year 

 the Southern Alinnesota society has thirty-three members, the Con- 

 stance horticultural club thirty-three members, the McLeod county 

 horticultural society eleven members, the Willmar society seventeen 

 members, and the Red River Valley society thirty-five members. 

 The North Dakota State Horticultural Society was on our member- 

 ship roll as an auxiliary with one hundred thirty-five members in 

 1904, and the same offer was extended to them this year, and it was 

 understood that thev would continue on the roll. As far as I have 



