130 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Portrait of the Late Joshua All yn.— The frontispiece of this 

 number will be recognized by all our older members as that of the 

 late Joshua Allyn, of Red Wing-. At the time of his decease we were 

 not in a position to make use of it, and it is published now in pursu- 

 ance of a settled plan to eventually place before our members in this 

 enduring- way all the faces grown familiar in our mutual work. 



The New Appointee As Secretary oe Aoriculture.— The 

 fortunate recipient of the appointment of Secretary of Ag- 

 riculture under the new adtninistration, Hon. Thos. B. Wilson, 

 is well and favorably known to the people of our neigh- 

 bor state, Iowa, from his relation to the experiment station of that 

 state, at Ames, of which he has been for sotne years director. He is 

 evidently highly appreciated there, as the board of trustees have 

 not accepted his resignation on account of the new position, but in- 

 stead have given him "indefinite'' leave of absence, and retain his 

 name on their rolls. Mr. Wilson should from his propinquity, at 

 least, be in sympathy with the efforts of north-western horticulturists 

 and their trying experience, and our interests may expect from him 

 fair recognition. 



Condemn Free Seed Distribution.— The New Jersey Horticul- 

 tural Society, at its late meeting, passed resolutions in emphatic 

 disapproval of the practice of giving away seeds by the general 

 government. The original plan, undoubtedly, in this distribution 

 was to introduce for testing purposes new and untried varieties, but 

 in use it has degenerated into a mere bid for interest on the part of 

 the congressmen, amongst whom this form of patronage is divided 

 and by whom the seeds are directly distributed, and the varieties 

 sent are no longer new and untried, but standard varieties of more 

 or less comtnon use. 



This practice is a relic of the old idea that the government is con- 

 ducted in the interest of the governing classes or in recognition of 

 a no longer accepted right to use the powers of government espe- 

 cially to perpetuate a hold upon office, and should receive the stern 

 disapproval of every citizen who favors purity in politics and the 

 principle that an officer is elected to consider the interests of the 

 public and not his own. 



A Convention to Discuss Noxious Insect and Fungi Legisla- 

 tion. — The officers of the Ohio State Horticultural Society have in- 

 vited a convention of delegates from "all horticultural and agri- 

 cultural societies, experiment stations and kindred organizations, 

 to meet in Washington, March 5, 1897, to consider the best measures 

 to be taken in securing such national and supplementary uniform 

 state legislation as ma}'- be necessary to prevent the dissemination 

 of noxious insects and fungi, and prevent their introduction into 

 the United States from other countries." This movement to secure 

 the most effective and uniform laws on this very important subject 

 is commendable, and even though Minnesota have no repre- 

 sentative there, the result of the deliberations will be of equal inter- 

 est to us. So far we have escaped some of the worst pests, but they 

 are heading this way and will soon be stealing across the line. 

 (Prof. Otto Lvigger, State Entomologist, has gone as our represnta- 

 tive, and a report of the meeting may be expected from him in our 

 next.) 



