HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 25- 



and make it practical, earnest and aggressive. I desire that 

 Minnesota shall have the best horticultural department in the 

 country — second to none — and I want you, ladies and gentle- 

 men, and all friends of horticulture, to feel and believe that I 

 am anxious for your earnest co-operation and helpfulness in 

 pushing the good work. This horticultural department is for 

 you, and the horticulturist in charge considers himself your 

 servant, and is desirous of doing all he can to promote your in- 

 terests. I do not expect to perform miracles; but I do expect 

 by careful working, trying, and comparison of one season with 

 another, to advance methods in the interest of economy, comfort 

 and general usefulness. 



As there are scarcely any lands that are alike in all particu- 

 lars, and as every locality has its special climate and is best 

 adapted for its appropriate line of work, bj^ reason of markets, 

 climate or soil, so to some extent must every progressive horti- 

 culturist and farmer be an experimenter and his lands must be 

 experimental lands. I believe this thoroughly and mean to 

 encourage individual experiments. It is evident to those ac- 

 quainted with the work that much can be done by a central 

 station to direct and stimulate experiments, and also in collect- 

 ing and arranging information concerning them. 



Besides this work I believe that it is the duty of the experi- 

 ment station to carry on any experiments of general interest to 

 the agricultural community which comes within its province, 

 especially those which, from the expense incident thereto, or 

 from the need of peculiar facilities or training, will not be un- 

 dertaken by individuals. 



I shall be glad to have suggestions made by those interested in 

 horticultural matters as to the best lines of work to pursue for 

 the most useful results, and at any time to have my attention 

 called to any promising novelty, or any new feature in the use of 

 any variety for a special purpose, or to special methods of culti- 

 vation. 



Dr. Otto Lugger was then called upon for some remarks, and 

 responded briefly. 



REMARKS OF DR. LUGGER. 



Dr. Lugger said he had but recently returned from a trip in 

 the northern portion of the state, where he had been busy in- 

 vestigating the reported visitation of the grasshoppers; he was- 

 Vol. IV— 4. 



