sbhretart's annual report, 1904. 19 



home in Taylor's Falls Nov. 28, 1904. These changes in the life 

 roll increase the number of life members as noted last year by 

 twelve members. 



Of this increase in membership 130 are to be charged to the 

 North Dakota Horticultural Society, which came in as an auxil- 

 iary society this year, but we also dropped from the roll the 

 South Dakota society, which heretofore had occupied this rela- 

 tive position, the number of their roll, however, being much less. 

 About 220 members came to us from the Farmers' Institute, 

 most of them as a result of the work of Mr. Frank Yahnke. This 

 number, however, is not in excess of that of previous years. 

 Aside from these special sources there is apparent a certain 

 movement in growth taking place through the cumulative inter- 

 est taken by the members of the society, which is bringing about 

 a steady increase in our numbers without any special work on 

 the part of your secretary other than picking up loose ends and 

 seeing that each member has the attention to which he is en- 

 titled. 



The condition of the finances of the society is equally satis- 

 factory, there being a considerable sum more in the hands of 

 the treasurer at this time than a year ago, notwithstanding some 

 special expenses which the society has incurred on account of 

 increased assistance required in the office, caused by the relation 

 of the secretary to the World's Fair and other matters connected 

 with the growth of the association. It has been found necessary 

 to employ a clerk and stenographer in the office all the time 

 during the year, which has insured the office being open during 

 ordinary office hours. 



The increase in membership has resulted in a shortage in the 

 reports and magazines printed for the society under the late law 

 providing for an increase. There are now being printed 4,000 

 copies of our report, 1,900 of which were sent out as magazines 

 and 2,100 bound in cloth, under the title of "Trees, Fruits and 

 Flowers of Minnesota." As each member receives, besides the 

 magazine, a copy of the annual report of the year before, under 

 an implied pledge to distribute the magazines where they will 

 be appreciated, and as some two or three hundred volumes are 

 required for exchanges and to those whom the law provides 

 shall be furnished with them, it will be seen that with the present 

 membership there are not enough reports to meet the demand : 

 and to preserve any for future life members, it has been neces- 

 sary this year to cut off the exchanges, which means that re- 

 ports have not been sent to the horticultural societies throughout 



