Secretary's (^ori^er. 



Present Membership. — The membership of the society has grown with 

 unusual rapidity this year, and at the date of noting this, April 25th, the 

 annual roll stands at 2137. This added to the life roll of 188 makes a total 

 membership of 2325. 



A Tribute to the Memory of Frank Yahnke. — Mr. Milton O. Nelson, 

 a Minneapolis member, in a recent letter pays an uncommon tribute to the 

 memory of our departed friend. "The tribute to Mr. Frank Yahnke in your 

 April issue is most inspiring. The uncommon qualities of great hope and 

 self sacrifice strike me as combining in him to a most unusual degree. In my 

 estimation he was a great man and his life a great success. It is due to the 

 fact that such men live and work among us that the world is kept from 

 spoiling. I wouldn't want anything better on this earth than to have a few 

 such men as neighbors." 



Accidental Death of H. G. Westman. — Air. Westman, of Sandstone, 

 Minn., was one of the younger life members of the society. His name was 

 placed on the life roll some three years since. While engaged in the stone- 

 quarry business, he also took an active interest in horticultural pursuits and 

 showed this so strongly that he was made a vice-president of the society for 

 the year 1906. At the last annual meeting he was on the program, as those 

 attending will recall. His death was caused by drowning in the Kettle 

 River on April 9th. Those who had the opportunity of knowing this ener- 

 getic and useful member of our society will sincerely mourn his loss from our 

 midst. 



Horticultural Meeting in the Red River Valley. — Prof. Wm. Rob- 

 ertson, secretary of the Red River Valley Horticultural Society, got the 

 members of that local society and friends together at the school of agriculture 

 of which he is principal, near Crookston, to the number of 150, on March 20th. 

 They listened to a very interesting program made up in large part of local 

 talent, of which there is a great abundance for the purpose. We note that 

 Prof. C. B. Waldron, from Fargo, was there as a visitor and took part in the 

 exercises. Ihe result of this meeting is a resuscitation of the Red River Val-- 

 ley Society, which has been rather dormant for the past two years. We an- 

 ticipate as a further result of this gathering a stronger organization than in 

 the past even. 



The Fruit Breeding Farm. — Now that the state legislature has enacted 

 the law by which a tract of land is to be purchased to be used as a fruit 

 breeding farm in connection with the state experiment station, it is well that 

 our members should take immediate note of it and, having the matter in 

 thought, give the management of the society the benefit of any observations 

 as to location, methods of operation, etc., that may occur to them. In a gen- 

 eral way the plan is to purchase a farm of approximately 160 acres, with 

 suitable farm buildings, conveniently located for easy access from the state 

 experiment station and at the same time especially adapted by the character 

 and lay of the soil, location, etc., for orchard purposes. $16,000 has been 

 appropriated for the purchase of such a place, and it ought not to be difficult 

 to find something suitable in all respects for this sum. 



