356 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



this lady wrote me in outlining the work she wanted to see done at 

 the state fair, but she said there was so much ignorance as to the 

 proper way of planting trees and shrubs and caring for them. I met 

 the lady afterwards, and we had a very pleasant time considering 

 the matter ; but the time was too short, and we could not do what she 

 wanted, done at the state fair. It seems to me the possibilities of 

 what the women could do in horticulture if they would come to- 

 gether, and work together with this auxiliary society are so great 

 that we men would be ashamed of ourselves of what we accomplish 

 in five years' time. I sincerely believe it, and I simply want to urge 

 you ladies here present that you take an interest in this work of the 

 auxiliary society and come next year. No matter whether your hus- 

 bands or male members of your family are connected with this soci- 

 ety or not, come anyway and join this auxiliary. It does not cost 

 much for membership,and I would like to see a membership of two 

 thousand women auxiliary to the Minnesota Horticultural society, 

 and you can do it if you will. (Applause.) 



Mr. Geo. J. Kellogg (Wis.) : I almost wish I lived in Min- 

 nesota. I wish I might carry some of this enthusiasm to our women's 

 club where I do live. I do not know any other way except to put 

 our publications in the hands of the women. They are not interested 

 in horticulture, they are only interested in history and things of that 

 kind. I am going to put some of this literature into their hands 

 and am going to see if I cannot arouse an interest among them. 

 My wife is so particular she does not want to see a leaf lie bottom 

 side up, but there are lots of women whose lawns are not as nice 

 as they might be, and they ought to have just this kind of education. 

 Mr. S. A. Stockwell : I think I have a right to speak ; I am a 

 member of this society, and I have my sweetheart and wife with me. 

 (Applause.) Brother Latham requested me to follow Mrs. Nelson 

 and make some remarks on the paper she read, but I do not think 

 there is anything to say on that subject, and I do not believe there is 

 any one here but believes that neighborhood organization is needed. 

 She referred to what was done in connection with their improve- 

 ment association, and Brother Owen referred to the fact that up in 

 Argyle they had taken off some of the taxes of people who had 

 improved their lands. I am not going to make a speech on taxation, 

 but I believe back of all questions of state-craft lies the most impor- 

 tant question for society, and that is the question of taxation. Is 

 it not a strange proposition that we tax people to make their homes 

 beautiful, to plant trees and flowers, but the people who make their 

 grounds a storage place for tin cans and dead cats have their tax 

 taken off. The man who makes two blades of grass grow where one 

 grew before, you lay a heavy tax on him, but the man who makes 

 the grass unsightly you let him go scot free. This is not a subject 

 that is germane to horticulture except indirectly, but it does seem 

 to me that we as citizens of Minnesota might do something practical 

 along this line to bring a better day to all who want to do good, who 

 are "soldiers of the common good." Could we not agitate the 

 proposition to make it possible for communities to have the right to 

 levy their taxes on such property as they see fit and make it pos- 



