JOURNAL OF ANNUAL MEETING, I9O4. 493 



WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION. 



The meeting was called to order by President Wedge at 9:30 

 A. M. 



The regular program was immediately tiken up with the presen- 

 tation of the annual reports of the vice-prcaidents. 



The "Report of the First Congressional District" was submitted 

 by Mr. C. W. Merritt, of Homer. (See index.) 

 Discussion. 



The President : We will next listen to a report from the second 

 congressional district. I would like to suggest to you that we have 

 rather a full program this morning, and v/e have need to hasten 

 along rather more than we did yesterday. We like to have a reason- 

 able amount of formality, especially for the benefit of our reporter, 

 and in asking your questions or discussing any subject I would re- 

 quest you to rise, and if any strangers are with us we would be 

 pleased to have you announce your names when rising to speak, so 

 that the reporter may get the name to use in connection with the 

 report of the meeting. (To all of which the reporter responded 

 "Amen" all to himself.) 



The "Report of the Second Congressional District" was then 

 read by Mr. David Secor of Winnebago City. (See index.) 

 Discussion. 



The President : Our next number will be presented by Capt. 

 Reed, of the third district. 



Capt. A. H. Reed then presented the "Report of the Third Con- 

 gressional District." (See index.) 



Mr. Arthur Brackett, on behalf of the committee on credentials, 

 submitted a supplementary report, recognizing Mr. J. C. Ferris, of 

 the Northeastern Iowa Horticultural Society, Hampton, la., and Mr. 

 J. C. Hawkins, of Austin, representing the Southern Minnesota Hor- 

 ticultural Society, as accredited delegates from their respective or- 

 ganizations. 



On motion of Mr. W. L. Taylor the report was unanimously 

 adopted. 



The President : I think we are very well acquainted with these 

 gentlemen, and I will ask them to come up here on the platform and 

 show us the light of their countenances. I will first ask Mr. Ferris 

 to come forward and give us a word of greeting. 



Mr. J. C. Ferris (la.) : Gentlemen of the Minnesota Horticul- 

 tural Society : It affords me a pleasure v/hich I am scarcely able 

 to express to stand before you, to greet you as a society and tO' meet 

 some old friends among you. If there is a warm corner in my heart 

 for anybody or anything, it is always warm for the old horticulturist, 

 and no less for the young one, and I also find many old soldiers 

 among the horticulturists who offered their services to their country, 

 as I did in the great war of the Rebellion. I came up here to be 

 enlightened, because I know whenever you have sent a light down to 

 Iowa we have become enlightened. I am sorry that some of the 

 lights that used to shine so brilliantly in your North Star state 

 have gone out. Old Peter Gideon has honored us by his presence, 



