JOURNAL OF THE ANNUAL MEETING, 1916. 501 



some of our sections up there, I am ashamed to say, they are 

 hauling better than fifty per cent of wild oats to market in 

 their wheat. There is an opportunity there. 



The President: While waiting for Mr. Brierley, I am go- 

 ing to ask Mr. Crosby, secretary of the legislative committee, 

 to make a report on our proposed horticultural building, our 

 home, which we hope to obtain at the coming session of the 

 legislature. 



Mr. Crosby: Mr. President and friends: It will be re- 

 membered that a year ago the committee made its report in 

 regard to the proposed bill, but we did not succeed in the last 

 legislature owing to opposition that came from a particular 

 source which it is perhaps not necessary to mention at this 

 time. But the committee proposes to go to the legislature at 

 the coming session with the expectation of getting the bill 

 passed. 



The bill provides, as you may remember, for an appro- 

 priation of $40,000, and the building, is to be located upon the 

 land of the farm school. Plans have already been drawn, and 

 it is to be located about two blocks from the street car, something 

 like that, from the Como-Harriet line. 



Now, it wants to be distinctly understood, if we are going 

 to have this bill passed this winter, every member of this 

 society must do his best and see his senator and representa- 

 tive and get his vote, not only his vote but his influence to 

 pass that bill. You ought to see, gentlemen, how impossible 

 it is for the committee to do that work. We cannot do it, 

 but this society has members in every county in the state, there- 

 fore it is up to you to see your senator and representative and 

 talk the matter over with them and not only get his vote or pledge 

 his vote but get his influence to do anything that he possibly can 

 towards accomplishing the passage of the bill. 



One other thing the committee wants to know. Is there any 

 opposition to our having a new hall? If there is, the commit- 

 tee wants to know it. I don't think there is, but we have heard 

 it said: "Oh, it is convenient to meet around in places like 

 this; it is handier here, etc." 



Gentlemen, it seems to me that such an organization as the 

 State Horticultural Society, and what it stands for, and what 

 it has accomplished in this state — isn't it a kind of an apology, 

 going around the way we do, for such an organization as this? 

 I certainly think so. Look at the exhibits of fruits out here 

 in these several rooms here. Isn't that an apology, almost ? We 

 had a much better exhibit some years ago, of course, in the 

 basement of the Unitarian Church, but even that wasn't what 

 we desired. What we desire is a good auditorium, something 

 larger than this, at least twice as large as this. Yesterday and 

 the day before, there was hardly sitting room in this place, and 

 it is objectionable in other ways. We want a hall that is suit- 



