8 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



and the time was fully and profitably occupied with papers and 

 discussions. 



On the second day of the meeting, Wednesday, a change was 

 made in the constitution, notice of which had been given the last 

 day of the session of the previous year. This provided that the 

 voters at the annual election of officers must be then in their third 

 year of membership. There was practically no opposition to this 

 change, and it will go far towards insuring a fixed policy in the 

 affairs of the society, as those voting will be only such as are per- 

 manently interested in its work. 



The annual election, which took place Thursday, was something 

 of a contrast to that of a year ago in that there was, in no case, more 

 than one nominee for any of the offices to be filled. The retiring 

 president, Mr. J. M. Underwood, who has filled this position six 

 years with such signal success, nominated Prof. W. W. Pendergast 

 as his successor, and he was promptly elected. The only other 

 changes from the previous officers were in the vice-presidency of 

 the first congressional district, Mr. F. W. Kimball, of Austin, 

 having been nominated by the retiring vice-president, Mr. E. H. S. 

 Dartt, of Owatonna, and Mr. D. T. Wheaton, of Morris, who was 

 elected to fill the vacancy in the seventh district caused by the 

 death of Mr. J. O. Barrett. 



On the last day of the meeting a further change was made in the 

 constitution, the purport of which is to reduce to twenty-five cents 

 the fee which members of local societies must pay to become 

 members of the state society. The constitution as amended at this 

 meeting will be found in full in this number. 



A number of resolutions were adopted during the meeting. One 

 urged the state legislature to make an appropriation of $35,000 for 

 the construction of a building for horticulture and botany at the 

 state agricultural college. Another offered thanks to Mr. J. W. 

 Thomas for the $100 sweepstakes premium on fruit, offered by him 

 at the state fair. 



Action was taken in reference to three matters of much importance 

 to the association, and equally so to the public at large. The first 

 was in regard to the appointing a committee to inquire into the 

 matter of securing permanent rooms for the society in the new state 

 Capitol. After a spirited discussion in regard to a re-olution look- 

 ing to the preparation and passage of a San Jose scale bill for the 

 coming legislature, the president was authorized to appoint a com- 

 mittee to draft a bill, the title of which is to read, " A bill to regulate 

 and control the sale of nursery stock in the state." The president in 

 his annual address suggested the offering by the society of a $1,000 

 for a seedling apple tree, which should be as handsome and of as 

 good quality and as good a bearer as the Wealthy, as hardy as the 

 Duchess, and as long keeping as the Malinda. Although not the 

 exact wording of the resoluion, this is the purport of it. This prop- 

 osition was enthusiastically received by the meeting, and it was 

 decided unanimously to offer this amount as a premium. The 

 matter was placed in the hands of the executive board to formulate 

 a plan and carry it out. 



