70 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



very few that put them at less than not one in ten or twenty. 

 The returns showed that not one in thirty or forty on the 

 average raised fruit for their own family use. Now, it seems 

 to me that this is the way to reach those families. If there is 

 any horticultural taste in the father, mother or child, you can 

 reach it this way. Of course this circular is subject to im- 

 provement, and I think you should appoint a committee if you 

 accept the offer, to make such changes as you would think 

 would be in the line of improvement. I know if you do this one 

 year, that the letters coming from these children to this society 

 will cause many of your members to rise up and pledge even 

 •fifty or one hundred thousand plants if you need them. You 

 have whole-souled nurserymen and fruit growers in Minnesota, 

 and they will all be glad to contribute to this movement after 

 it is started. 



Mr. C. L. Smith: As an indication of the interest that the 

 children in Minnesota take in matters of that kind I will say 

 that a year ago I sent a little slip to about three hundred coun 

 try newspapers in Minnesota, stating that I would send to any 

 girl or boy who would send me the names of twenty-five far- 

 mers receiving mail at their post office, a dozen strawberry 

 plants free by mail. That advertisement appeared just once, 

 and I immediately had to send a notice to the publishers that 

 they need not continue the notice as I had more letters than I 

 could answer in two months. Under that arrangement I had 

 to send out 7,800 strawberry plants last spring to the boys and 

 girls of Minnesota. 



It was moved by Mr. J. A. Sampson, of Excelsior, that a 

 committee of three be appointed to take charge of this matter, 

 one member of that commitee to be the secretary of the society. 

 Mr. J. O. Barrett of Brown's Valley suggested the appointment 

 on that committee of a member of the forestry association. 

 The motion, seconded by Mr. Alfred Terry of Slayton, 

 was withdrawn after considerable discussion, as the matter was 

 already in the hands of the executive committee, lying over 

 from last year. 



President Underwood : I take pleasure in introducing to the 

 society, Mr. O. C. Gregg, who will address us upon "Hor- 

 ticulture in the Farmers' Institute:" 



Mr. O. C. Gregg. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I assure you it 

 gives me much pleasure to appear before you to-day. I never look upon 

 this assembly, but with a very vivid remembrance of its relation to the 

 farmers' institutes of our state. When the work was first being started, 

 we found some of your members our staunchest friends, and we received 



