HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 55 



see that it materially interferes with the membership of our So- 

 ciety. 



I agree with Mr, Sias, that Mr. Harris was mistaken as to the 

 •organization of township societies before organizing a state soci- 

 ety. It struck me in this way : how much of a show would those 

 ^'original twelve" have made when spread out over all the 

 liowns of Minnesota ? If there were only twelve men that could 

 be found who were enough interested in Horticulture in the 

 state to undertake to start a society, there would not have been 

 material enough to start very many township societies. 



The way I look upon horticulture in Minnesota is this : It has 

 T^een a little over twenty years since this Society was organized 

 and the cause is still in a missionary stage. And this is one of 

 the difficulties we found in the farm institute work ; there is not 

 that interest in horticulture that there ought to be, and there - 

 fore it has been necessary to fight its way there as best it can. I 

 repeat that our work is missionary work. The question is not so 

 much what people shall pay for this information, but how can 

 w^e best get it before them and attract their attention to it. 



Mr. Pearse. Mr. President, I think it has been a custom here- 

 tofore to furnish each local society with fifty copies of our re- 

 ports. I think that is right and proper and they should have 

 them free. In this way our reports are scattered over the state 

 and those interested can obtain them. I think, however, the 

 number sent out to local societies should be limited and should 

 not exceed that amount. 



President Elliot. We have gained the point we wished to 

 "bring out by calling this matter up. In directing attention to 

 this matter of fees we wanted you to take the view expressed by 

 Mr. Smith, that we are not working for the fees, but our Society 

 is aiming to do missionary work. We do not care so much how 

 this information goes before the people so long as it goes there, 

 and we wanted to get you interested a little in the right direc- 

 tion. 



The following report was then read by the Secretary: 



MINNESOTA VALLEY HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Granite Falls, Minn., Jan. 9, 1889. 



<S. jD. Sillman, Secretary , etc.: 



In compliance with your request I briefly report the condition 

 of the Minnesota Valley Horticultural Society, 



