STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 59 



embraces — which is indeed a wide one — and closed by giving 

 an object lesson in budding fruit trees. Then followed a shower 

 of questions from the audience on the various topics presented, 

 which were answered by the speaker to the entire satisfaction of 

 the people.'' 



We held our second annual meeting in Winter's Hall, in 

 Granite Falls, on the twenty-eighth and twenty ninth of Decem- 

 ber last. We held five sessions, three the first day and two the 

 second. At 2 o'clock p. m. of the second day the following oflBi- 

 <?ers were elected for the ensuing year: 



President — O. E. Saunders. 



Secretary — A. B. Regester. 



Treasurer — W. J. Eice. 



Vice Presidents — J. Cook, J. J. Mooney, Mrs. H. E. Morrill, 

 Mrs. S. A. Hall, C. A. Sargent. 



Directors — J. B. Smith, A. W. Knox, Mrs. O. E. Saunders. 



The young ladies and gentlemen are becoming interested in 

 horticulture through the influence of our society, and are tak- 

 ing hold of the work in good earn&st. Let me relate an inci- 

 dent: Prof. Hall, of Wood Lake, was booked for a paper on 

 the cultivation of potatoes, to be read at our winter meeting, 

 just past. Mr. Hall was unable to attend the meeting, so he got 

 his sou. about eighteen years old, to iDrepare the paper and read 

 it in his stead; and while this paper was being prepared a 

 younger son, a little boy but seven years old, asked his father 

 the privilege of writing a paper on potato culture. Consent 

 was given on condition that he should write it himself and read 

 it at the meeting. The paper was written as per agreement, and 

 when his turn came to read the little fellow stood up by his 

 mother's knee and read his paper like a little man, and the 

 hearty applause which followed showed not only an interest in 

 the subject presented but in the manly courage of that little 

 boy: and let me say, as a matter of fact, that the subject of 

 potato culture presented by those boys called out more interest- 

 ing discussion than any other subject presented during the 

 sessions of the meeting. 



Xow a word on the good work accomplished by our society. 

 It has created an increased interest in fruit culture and general 

 horticultural work: it has stimulated a desire to plant more or- 

 namental and forest trees in our public grounds and along the 

 highways. The county superintendents of schools in Yellow 

 3Iedicine and Chippewa counties have agreed to work up an in- 



