STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 265 



port up to this time. T am happy to state now, however, that matters 

 are under way, under the instructions of the present governor, and 

 with the aid of ex-Gov. Hubbard, to have a report prepared on that 

 exhibit, and one that will be commensurate with the character of the 

 exhibit itself, which you all remember was regarded as being as fine a 

 State exhibit as there was in the Exposition, if not the finest of all. 



That report will undoubtedly in a very brief period be prepared and 

 turned over to Gov. McGill for such action as the next legislature 

 may take in its wisdom on the subject. But I presume it will be pub- 

 lished with the proper illustrations, and citizens of the State will be 

 more pleased with the report itself than with the subject. 



If the Secretary would now place his pencil upon his ear he would 

 like to state a further fact. He understood the Society had received 

 $50, 'as premiums awarded on fruits, and some were no doubt sur- 

 prised at receiving that money. 



In the State exhibit there was some two hundred bushels of apples 

 and a quantity of grapes. In his judgment they could not compete 

 successfully for premiums; therefore no attempt was made to exhibit 

 apples at horticultural hall, where competitive exhibits were made; 

 he reserving them to go with the State exhibit in other buildings. 



On grapes we had a fair show to make good our pretentions for 

 growing as good grapes as can be grown anywhere in the United 

 States, and several entries were made in the name of the Society, and 

 a number of premiums afterward awarded. 



He was very glad the Society had received the money, and the whole 

 United States would share with them in the honor, for in contesting 

 for the palm in choicest varieties they had secured these awards on 

 fruits it was not supposed could be successfully raissd in a cold cli- 

 mate. 



The report of the committee on floriculture being called for, the 

 following paper was then read : 



ARCTIC FLOWERS. 



• By Mrs. C. 0. Van Cleve, Minneapolis. 



The mercury sinks in the bulb, men and women hurry along the 

 pathways between walls of snow, as if pursued by some invisible but 

 dangerous foe, and sitting down to write of flowers, I look out the 

 window at my flower bed of last summer and behold a white, shapely 

 mound, beautiful, but oh ! so cold ! It is the grave of my pretty cy- 

 press vine and sweet mignonette, my velvet pansies and bright ver- 



