HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 251 



The institute work under Prof. Gregg has been a sort of an 

 ■experiment. While he has aimed to give careful and detailed 

 instruction in the subjects brought upon the platform, he has 

 always kept in mind the popularity of the work. And he has 

 honestly and earnestly believed that the people did not want the 

 horticultural instruction as much as they wanted the horse and 

 -cow and pig talks ; and he has been inclined to give them what 

 they wanted, perhaps, rather than what they needed. 



We do not know as yet how the board may be organized, or 

 whether we will haye any appropriation or not ; but we do not 

 want any misunderstanding as to the use of that appropriation 

 or the management of the institutes. I believe that if the Min- 

 nesota Horticultural Society, through its executive committee, 

 or through the leading members of the Society would ask and 

 insist, as they have the right to do, and will have opportunity 

 to do, that a certain share of the time of each institute be given 

 to the discussion of these subjects, that it will be given by the 

 superintendant, whoever he may be, whether Mr. Gregg, or 

 somebody else. The reason why this has not been done before is, 

 perhaps, because of the indifference of horticulturists them- 

 selves. 



In my own talks at these institutes I have always been very 

 conservative, and very careful in regard to statements that I 

 I would make ; and I am satisfied that I would have been given 

 more opportunity to talk on horticultural subjects, and the work 

 would have had more prominence than it has had, if it had not 

 been for the severe criticism of members of this Society. 



If this Society will agree in regard to the amount of instruc- 

 tion and present it to the institute board, or whoever shall have 

 the management of the work, I believe they will receive what 

 they ask. It would certainly be unfortunate at this time to 

 pass any resolution asking for any division of this fund, to any 

 special interest. The same thing might be urged by the dairy- 

 men, by the poultry men, or the amber cane interest, that each 

 should be allowed their certain part of this money. 



In regard to the matter of time. I started out with the idea 

 that if I was going to tell a man how to grow strawberries I 

 wanted an hour and a half; but I was so drilled in this work that I 

 have been able to impart in ten minutes more informition to 

 farmers in regard to how to plant and grow strawberries than I 

 could do before in an hour and a half. I think this has been 

 one of the mistakes, that sometimes the horticultural part of the 



