SECRETARY'S ANNUAL REPORT. 



Mr. President and Fellow Members: 



We have the honor to submit herewith our fourth annual re- 

 port. In so doing we are forcibly reminded of the common say- 

 ing ''Time flies." Little did we think five years ago this pres- 

 ent month, when called upon to assume the duties and responsi- 

 bilities of this position, that you would bear with us this length 

 of time. Fortunately, we have had the sympathy and kind co- 

 operation of officers and members of the Society in the perform- 

 ance of duties that have devolved upon us, and though at times, 

 we felt misgivings, yet with your kind indulgence and generous 

 assistance we have been enabled to measure up to the success 

 attained. And it may not be inappropriate here to say that in 

 the suggestions offered at this time we shall not aim to teach^ 

 since you are so much better fitted by practical experience to 

 give instruction were any needed to be given. 



THEORY AND PRACTICE. 



Horticulture is not like mathematics, an exact science. It is 

 true we may reason from cause to effect with some degree of 

 certainty. We may study the laws of plant development and 

 growth, observe results that have been reached by close adher- 

 ence to certain elementary principles, or methods of procedure; 

 but we can neither sow nor plant with full assurance that the 

 desired results will be attained in each and every case. Our 

 field of labor is rather one of observation and experiment. We 

 read the future in a measure by our experience in the past. 

 And, hence, before proceeding in our investigations we find it 

 profitable at times to take a short review. 



