SECRETARY'S ANNUAL REPORT. 17 



spirit of the place, as he indicates has sometimes been the case of 

 similar associations within his knowledge. We are glad to be able 

 to say that there are no such names upon this roll. There are three 

 factors that especially contribute towards this large roll, perhaps the 

 greatest being the loyalty of the members of the society and the 

 personal efforts put forth by them to extend its usefulness ; another 

 is undoubtedly the method in which our reports are published, mak- 

 ing them comparatively available and attractive reading matter ; a 

 third is found in the efforts made by the lecturer on horticulture in 

 the farmers' institutes. Hon. A. K. Bush has occupied that position 

 with great credit the past year, and has distributed a large amount 

 of literature from the secretary's office, contributing by his personal 

 efforts in this work 151 members. Each one of these represents a 

 bona fide interest in the work of the horticultural society, two or 

 three being picked up in each place where the institute meets. As 

 Mr. Bush occupies the place again this winter, and returns are al- 

 ready coming in, v^e may expect similar valuable work from him in 

 the immediate future. 



Besides the usual routine work of the office, which with so large 

 a membership roll you may judge is considerable, there has been 

 done this year some special work; first, in connection with an effort 

 to trace the seedlings that Mr. Gideon sent out some ten or twelve 

 years ago, to ascertain if there is anything of value amongst them. 

 This work was undertaken at the suggestion of ]\Ir. Wyman Elliot, 

 chairman of the executive board, and he has gathered the results 

 and will spread them before you later in the meeting. 



A circular letter was also sent out later in the year to all the 

 members, asking for certain information with which it would be an 

 advantage for the secretary to be acquainted. This was generally re- 

 plied to, but not in full, and it is on this account that reference is 

 made to it here, as a similar circular is liable to be sent out the en- 

 suing year. I desire to make an appeal for the full co-operation of 

 the society in this branch of its work. 



This report can hardly be made without reference to the part 

 our society took at the state fair and the grand results attained in 

 the horticultural building. While the society is not oflEicially con- 

 nected with that institution, yet we deserve very largely the credit 

 which accrues to a successful exhibit in this department. Besides 

 the regular exhibitors, there were quite a number of new ones, and 

 I take this opportunity to urge that more of our people who have 

 not exhibited at the fair try to do so in the early future. When a 

 person begins exhibiting at the fair it is a rare thing for him not to 

 continue to do so with regularity. There is a pleasure as well as 



