STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETT. 39^ 



in the State who will fruit it this year. We must consider the condi- 

 tions under which it is grown. There are very few who have such- 

 soil as that of Mr. J. M. Smith. 



Mr. Harris. Mr. President, perhaps I ought to state my position: 

 with regard to the organization of the Southern Minnesota Horticul- 

 tural Society. I have traveled around some in the State and find there 

 is an increasing interest manifested to know more of the subject of 

 horticulture. I have asked men to join our Society and they have said 

 they did not join because they were unable to attend our meetings. 

 They do not realize that they could get five times the cost of becoming 

 a member from reading our reports, and still remain at home. They 

 do not realize the benefit of having a large membership in all sections 

 of the State. After thinking the matter over, knowing that Olmsted 

 county was the birthplace of the State Society, I did not see any good 

 reason why it might not be a proper thing to have an organization for 

 the southern or southeastern portion of the State. In my letter to the 

 president of the society, I urged them to maintain their county organ- 

 ization and tried to tell them how they could help to build up this 

 Society. I told them that we ought to have five thousand members. 

 We might be able to get that number of names enrolled if we had more 

 sub organizations in the State that would work to this end. I hope 

 and trust that their new organization may prove to be a success. 



I farther stated in my letter to Mr. Sias that I thought the State So- 

 ciety ought to have a Board of Horticulture; I believe the same now, 

 I believe we ought to have horticultural experiment stations all over 

 the State, and that these stations should be under the charge of dis- 

 trict and county societies. Some might argue that this plan would 

 weaken the State Society. Gentlemen, horticulture is like a great 

 many other things, it is " catching." If some of our country friends 

 will turn out to the meetings of the Southern Minnesota Horticultural 

 Society, they will become interested, and they will certainly want to 

 attend the meetings of the State Society. I hope in the near future 

 we may be able to hit upon some feasible plan for all the local organi- 

 zations to claim a membership in this Society. 



