490 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The motion was duly seconded and, being- put to a vote, prevailed 

 unanimously. 



The President : Since yesterday afternoon some more delegates 

 from neighboring states have arrived, and we would be very glad 

 to hear from them as we did from the others. I presume the com- 

 mittee on credentials has found them duly accredited delegates, and 

 we are very glad to welcome them. I first want to introduce to you 

 Mr. A. F. Collman, of Corning, Iowa, who represents the Iowa 

 State Horticultural Society. Mr. Collman is not an entire stranger 

 to us, having visited one of our meetings a number of years ago. 



Mr. A. F. Collman (Iowa) : I am very glad to have the oppor- 

 tunity to be present at this meeting. I am sorry I left my cre- 

 dentials at the hotel, but I assure you they are all right. I have been 

 very much pleased to listen to your reports, and I am very glad that 

 you have such a live society. I have been acquainted with your 

 secretary ever since the World's Fair. I know him to be an honest, 

 worthy and true gentleman, and I believe he is a fair representative 

 of your people here. I am very glad to be here, and will try to carry 

 home to our people whatever information I may gain at this meeting. 



The President: We also have with us Mr. J. B. Mitchell, of 

 Cresco, Iowa, representing the Northeastern Iowa Horticultural So- 

 ciety. I will ask Mr. Mitchell to come forward that we may see 

 his face again and hear a few words from him. 



Mr. J. B. Mitchell (Iowa) : Mr. President, I am really pleased 

 to be here once more. The faces in the audience are not all strange 

 to me. I have been in this place before. I have always taken an 

 interest in Minnesota horticulture, and I am so near the border that 

 our interests are almost identical, especially in the southern part of 

 your state. I formerly advocated the Russian apples very strongly 

 and still have a great deal of faith in them. I was down below in 

 the exhibit room, and I was wonderfully surprised to see the large 

 showing of apples at this season of the year, and, by the way, I 

 noticed a great many Russians down there. I am pleased to see this 

 society growing as rapidly as it does. I have always enjoyed my- 

 self here, and I think this occasion will be no exception. I may 

 have something more to say before the close of the meeting. 



The President : We also have with us Mr. C. G. Patten, of 

 Charles- City, Iowa. Mr. Patten is very near to us, and I know we 

 would all be pleased to have him come up here on the platform and 

 let us see his face once more. 



Mr. C. G. Patten (Iowa) : I do not know that I have very 

 much to offer, but the thought suggested itself to my mind in com- 

 ing into the room this morning and seeing only a few members 

 here, and noticing that the presiding officer was delivering his an- 

 nual address, I say the thought occurred to me that it might have 

 been better, or I might have wished that that address might have 

 come a little later on the program when there was a larger attend- 

 ance. I do not offer this as a criticism in any sense, but it seems 

 to me that a man occupying the position of president of so large an 

 organization as this, and as it should be considered the principal 

 address delivered before the society, it seems to me it should be de- 

 livered at a time when there is a more representative attendance 



