HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 353 



Mr. Sias. This matter was brought up at our meeting at 

 Eochester, as Mr. Harris will remember, and he favored the pro- 

 ject. He is a man that has done more for this Society probably, 

 than any other member. He is the Marshall P. Wilder of the 

 Northwest. I have heard that remark frequently, and as he 

 favored it, and was placed on the committee, I thought it would 

 not be tabled or carelessly put aside. 



I might compare this Society to the century plant, which I 

 understand grows very fast and after it blossoms, dies. It comes 

 to be a large tree in its native habitat in Mexico. I have under- 

 stood in some cases it attains a height of sixty feet, then blossoms 

 and dies. Perhaps the reason is because it has no branches. 



Now, for fear this Society may die prematurely, I recommend 

 these four branches, which I think we need, one from the north 

 to protect from the arctic waves that come down so severe. I 

 think we have an agent running a station at Moorehead, who 

 would be a good man to run that one. We need one on the east 

 to protect us from eastern tree frauds that come here; we need 

 one on the south to protect us from the direct rays of the sun — 

 to prevent sunscald. We need a good, heavy branch there, and 

 we have already got it started — about a year ago. Then we 

 need a good, heavy branch on the west, near the border line, 

 where Prof. Barrett lives. He is a man that believes in ever - 

 greens and forestry, and we need a good strong branch there to 

 protect us against the tornados that sweep across those prairies. 

 We need it to protect this beautiful city, and he is just the man 

 to run it. We need all those branches. This Society might live 

 without them, but it may die suddenly or prematurely some 

 time without them. We need these branches just as much as 

 they need them in Iowa. All we ask of this Society is to sanction 

 this measure. We want a committee to memorialize the state 

 legislature. We ought to organize these societies and do the 

 best we can. We must not give up the ship, but let us fight for 

 success. 



Mr. Dartt said money was required to carry fcu'ward such an 

 enterprise, and he favored the societies if they could be kept up. 

 It was necessary that somebody should do a great deal of work 

 for nothing, or to have the money to provide the sinews of war. 

 It was not very likely that a state appropriation could be ob- 

 tained, but perhaps one hundred dollars could be secured for 

 each society. He had tried to start a society at Owatonna and 

 succeeded in getting a few members, but it soon dwindled out. 

 Vol. IV— 45. 



