100 ANNUAL REPOET 



himself, at the request of parties interested, in one or two in- 

 stances where complaints had been made as to sales of nUrsery 

 stock, to obtain the facts as to the alleged grievances; that in 

 each case the nurserymen in question had made satisfactory ar- 

 rangements with the parties when his decision had been made 

 in the matter. He had stated further that he thought it better 

 instead of placing the responsibility with the secretary of state 

 for the administration of the law, to place the whole matter in 

 the hands of this Society, through its officers, as they were more 

 thoroughly conversant with such matters than the secretary of 

 state could be, in connection with his other numerous duties. 



He said there was a law passed in Kansas nearly three years 

 ago, for the prevention of fraud in the sale of fruit trees and 

 nursery stock. The act declares any person who shall violate its 

 provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable 

 in a fine or imprisonment, and treble damages to the party in- 

 jured. 



Mr. Gray called for the reading of the Minnesota law of 

 1887. 



The motion of Mr. Harris was then adopted unanimously. 



METEOROLOGY AND FOEESTEY. 



Prof. W. H. Eagan, of Indiana, was here called upon to pre- 

 sent some remarks and to illustrate, by means of charts, the 

 course of the great storm of January, 1886. 



Prof. Eagan. I would say, Mr. President, I have an axe to 

 grind. 



President Elliot. Did you ever know anyone to come to a 

 horticultural meeting that hadn't 1 



Prof. Eagan. I want to say something to you gentlemen on 

 the subject of a remarkable blizzard, and how it effected the ter- 

 ritory over which it passed. 



Mr. Cutler. Do you mean to say that you are going to inform 

 us here in Minnesota about the effects of blizzards? 



Prof Eagan. I have a request to make on behalf of the people 

 in my section of the country, that since you have the gate-way 

 through which these blizzards are to pass that you shall look to 

 the closing of the gate, so to speak; in other words, that the for- 

 estry question will figure somewhat in that which I have to say, 



