288 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A motion was made and seconded to adopt Mr. Barrett's 

 resolution, which motion was unanimously carried. 



Secretary A. W. Latham: I have a letter from Col. Stevens 

 I would like to read from. 



"Owing to illness I shall be unable to attend the annual summer 

 meeting, Friday next, but I am very anxious to have Mr. Cross' 

 proposition endorsed by the society in regard to forestry. I trust 

 you will have a profitable meeting, and only regret I can not be 

 present, it being the first I have missed in many j'ears." 



I have also a word from Mrs. Ida E. Tilson: 



West Salem, Wis., June 16, 1896. 

 "I regret I cannot be at the gathering June 19,but send my kindest 

 greetings to all." 



REMARKS BY SECY J. O. BARRETT. 



Allow me just to say a word. I was requested by our forest regent, 

 after this committee was appointed, to send an abridged circular of 

 the plan by Mr. Cross to the editors of the state, to all the members 

 of the last session of the legislature and to the different states. I 

 did send the circulars, — we published a supplemental edition, as it 

 is called. I had a call the other day from a comtnittee — I suppose 

 appointed by congress to devise a plan b3' which the forests under 

 national domain could be protected — asking for that circular (I may 

 be mistaken as to the authority, but I supposed it was the national 

 committee). I sent it to these gentlemen, all scholarly men. I have 

 a paper from a Boston editor called "Northeastern Lumberman." I 

 sent a letter to the editor asking for criticism. He published a very 

 gentleinanlj^ criticism and wrote a very encouraging letter. I want 

 to lay these documents before j'^ou. I have received answers from 

 all around, even from California and Massachusetts, as well as our 

 own state. Let me add right here, that the eyes of the people of 

 the United States interested in forestry are fixed upon Minnesota. 

 They regard Minnesota today as the leading state on a practical 

 plan of forest protection; and they want to see, the sequel, anticipat- 

 ing something that will be really the thing they need, when we 

 arrive at the finality of our bill acted upon bj^ the legislature. I will 

 state for the committee here, that I think that the theory or the plan de- 

 vised by Captain Cross is not a complete one; it is only presented to the 

 public to attract attention. And j'ou have come here, like one of the 

 actors, to give your opinions and to discuss matters. As a commit- 

 tee has been planned to be appointed by the executive board of tliis 

 society, doubtless from kindred societies, from the lumbermen's 

 association and, I hope, from the commercial clubs and the health 

 board and from all who are allied with the forest interests, I hope all 

 of these will be identified in the bill which we shall eventually pre- 

 sent to our legislature. I believe the time is ripe for action. There 

 is no doubt about it. And we have brains enough in Minnesota to 



