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Miynesora Srate. HorricutturéL Socirery. 105 
Prof. W. J. Beal, of our Agricultural College, is anxious to get your reports, 
to use in connection with his teaching. 
af Foreign Fame. 
I must also mform you that the spreading fame of your society is not limited 
by the shores of America but has crossed the Atlantic ocean, in proof of which 
I present to you the ‘“I'wenty-first Annual Report of the Horticultural Union of 
Bremen and vicinity for the year 1877." I would gladly give you a synopsis of 
its contents only that limited time and limited knowledge of German do not per- 
mit. I cannot forbear, however, calling your attention to the striking illustra- 
tions the volume affords of the value of scientific names for plants and animals. 
The scientific names are given in this volume and by reference to any botanical 
text book you, as well as I, can learn just what plant is meant. Were the pop- 
ular German names employed, not even a German scholar could tell you what 
plant was meant unless personally acquainted with it, and no German dictionary 
would afford assistance. 
Increased Membership. 
The signs of growing interest and appreciation do not all come from without 
the borders of our own State. Many names are found on the list of members for 
last year that have not before appeared on the rolls of the society. Some of 
these have forwarded their membership fees without solicitation from any one. 
A larger number have renewed their membership though at first induced to be- 
come members by the efforts of others. The number of members though not so 
large as the year previous yet presents no cause for discouragement. 
Doings of Other Societies. 
Programmes of several horticultural meetings have been received. In most of 
them we note some subjects of interest to peculiar localities, and also some sub- 
jects in which we have an equal or even greater interest. In the programme of 
the Michigan Pomological Society ‘Yellows in the Peach” is the first subject 
_ proposed for discussion, while ‘‘Horticultural Implements,’’ ‘‘Orchard Fertilizers 
and Cultivation,’’ ‘‘Progress in Floriculture’’ and ‘‘Insect Enemies’’ are subjects 
that command or may command our own consideration. There are some subjects 
also which seem to invite more of speculative discussion than we are wont to in- 
dulge in. Of this sort [ consider the topic ‘‘How shall we utilize our Rainfall.’’ 
At the meeting of the Ohio Horticultural Society ‘‘Pear Culture’’ seems to 
have been the peculiar topic, while the majority of the subjects treated would 
have been equally interesting to us. Some of them were ‘‘Culture and Diseases 
of the Grape,’’ ‘‘Rules for Judging Fruits,”’ “Utilizing Surplus Fruits,’’ ‘‘Pro- 
tection of Orchards,”’ ‘‘Forestry,’’ “‘Ornamental Planting about School Houses,’ 
and ‘‘Civilizing Influences of Horticulture.”’ 
The lowa Horticultural Society met Tuesday but no programme has been re- 
ceived. 
Tree Planting Laws. 
I will spare you further observations of this nature,”"and confine myself to more 
relevant matter. 
