Im^n^er JVTeeti^g, 1804. 



"One of the best summer meeting-s weaver had"was theg^eneral vei 

 dictof the one hundred or more members and friends of the Minnesota 

 State Horticultural Society who sat down to the bountifullj- spread 

 tables on the lawn at Villa Rosa, the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. 

 Dorilus Morrison, of Minneapolis, on the afternoon of June 21, 1894. A 

 number of guests honored the occasion, Maj^or Eustis of Minneapolis 

 and Prof. Jordan, superintendent of the city schools, Mr. Rogers of 

 the Xew Jersey Experiment Station, Rev. Dr. Tuttle and Mr. H. M. 

 Kerechjian, an Armenian now in this country* for studj^ and obser- 

 vation of our political and social institutions, being of the number, . 

 and adding to the pleasure of the meeting- hj joining in the after- 

 dinner speeches. 



The display of fruits and flowers was as large as usual, in some 

 respects surpassing any previous exhibition. The strawberries were 

 a great surprise, in this season of drouth, and have never before 

 been exceeded in quantity, size and number of varieties. Prof 

 Green, of the St. Anthonj^ Park experiment station exhibited fifty- 

 nine varieties, which, had the}' been entered for premiums, would 

 have received large notice. The exhibit of out-door roses by the 

 Jewell Nursery Co., was particularl}^ admired. 



The da}^ was one of Minnesota's rarest of rare June days, the sur- 

 roundings were all that nature and art combined could furnish, and, 

 with the many hospitable provisions of the generous hostess, all 

 combined to make the gathering- a notable one. After ample justice 

 had been given to the bountiful dinner, while still gathered about 

 the tables, President J. M. Underwood called the attention of the 

 company, in a few well chosen words, to the custom of the society 

 to break awaj^ from care and to come together in the free and easy 

 and friendly waj' which only a basket dinner permits, and to enjoy 

 a few informal after-dinner talks. And so, presiding in his genial 

 way, the president called upon various ones to respond to toasts, 

 some of whom spoke extemporaneovisly, while others, more timid or 

 less used to such efforts, read from manuscript. This part of the en- 

 tertainment was very much enjoj'-ed, there being no long-, prosy 

 speeches or drj- papers, and we would like to present them in full to 

 our readers: but only partial notes were taken. Those in manuscript 

 are given nearl}- in full. The program was as folio ivs: 



VILLA ROSA AND OUR HOSTS. 



"How blest is he who crowns in shades like these, 

 A youth of labor with an age of ease " 



Mr. Wm. R. Dobbyn responded, speaking of the advantage to the 

 cit}^ in having such a citizen as Mr. Morrison, of the pleasure he had 

 in listening to Mrs. Morrison in her paper before the winter meeting 

 of the societj', and of the more intimate glance such an occasion as 



