ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. ' 101 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Your committee, to whom was referred the president's address, ask 

 leave to make the following report: After giving the matter careful con- 

 sideration we conclude that the points made are well taken and we have 

 no occasion to critisize or differ in judgment from the wise counsels of 

 our worthy president, whose motto is, to let nothing fail for lack of pro- 

 per attention. If we could all live up to that standard, we should have 

 less cause to find fault with Providence. 



A very important point, and one which demands our first attention, 

 a problem difficult to solve, is how to save the wasted energies of the 

 soil and return an equivalent for the crops which have been taken there- 

 from. This certainly is worthy of our careful attention, and he who shall 

 master the problem would be one of the greatest benefactors of mankind. 



Another, to which our attention is called, is the education of the 

 masses, especially the youth, through the means of the kindergarten and 

 common school work of the farmers institute and especially the more 

 complete and scientific knowledge to be acquired at our agricultural col- 

 leges. We shall always want the very best men for the best work, and 

 there is no danger of an over supply. Daniel Webster once said, "there 

 is always room on the top shelf." 



In regard to the World's Columbian fair you will probably take some 

 action before you adjourn. As the matter has not yet been acted upon 

 by our legistature we would recommend that the legislative committee 

 of this society be instructed to correspond with the members of the legis- 

 lature as to the best way and means by which to secure a proper represen- 

 tation. 



Another thought is the subject of forestry. Your committee think 

 that Pres. Elliot has laid that matter fairly and squarely before you and 

 it behooves you and indeed every one that has any concern for the future 

 welfare of our land and posterity, to devise some means by which our 

 forests can be preserved at least from open and wanton destruction. 



We are also reminded that as a society we shall soon reach the twenty- 

 fifth anniversary of our existence. Our books show that we commenced 

 without any capital, but like most stock companies, we issued bonds and 

 purchased them ourselves and our dividends have been large in experience, 

 and we think that the time has come, as our worthy president suggests, 

 that we should take an inventory of stock, liquidate our floating indebted- 

 ness and begin anew upon a broader and more solid basis, in all of which 

 your committee heartily concur. 



Signed: CLARENCE WEDGE, 



O. II. WILCOX, 

 J. T. GRIMES. 



On motion the report was adopted and referred to the publi- 

 cation committee. 



M. Cutler: I believe Mr. Underwood made a motion. 



J. M. Underwood: Mr. Emery, representing the nursery- 

 men and the tree growers at the Columbian Exposition, will 

 do everything in his power to facilitate the working of the ex- 

 ecutive committee, and undoubtedly will be able to meet with 

 them and will be glad to meet with them to take the necessary 

 steps to make our society prominent in that exhibit. My 

 motion was that this question of the Columbian Exposition be 

 referred to the executive committee with power to act. 



M. Cutler: As a member of the executive committee I should 

 like to hear general expression from the members as to how 



