STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 19 



societies, we are entitled to an additional sum of $100, or more, as 

 soon as we comply with the provisions of the act. We are hold- 

 ing annual fairs in connection with our summer meetings and pay- 

 ing premiums in excess of the amount required by law, and that 

 too, upon articles that cannot be exhibited at the season when the 

 state fairs are held. I would recommend the appointment of a 

 committee to investii^ate the matter, and if such moneys are due us 

 we could devote a like sum to the offering of special premiums at 

 the state or other fairs where our society has the privilege of com- 

 peting for premiums. 



The sad duty devolves upon me of announcing the decease of 

 two active and esteemed members of our society. 



The Hon. Leonard Bacon Hodges, the great Arboriculturist of 

 Minnesota, and late Secretary of the State Forestry Association, 

 and James Bo wen, our late librarian, are dead. Mr. Hodges died 

 at his residence, 408 Laurel avenue, St. Paul, about 8 o'clock p. m., 

 Saturday, April 14:th from a complication of diseases having their 

 origin in an enfeebled condition of the digestive organs. He was 

 born at West Bloomfield, Ontario county, N. Y., on the 15th day 

 of July, 1823. His ancestors came from England early in the his- 

 tory of the colonies, and were distinguished for their patriotism 

 and unselfish devotion to the institutions of this country. In the 

 biographical sketch of this useful man which appeared in the 

 Pioneer Press of April 16th, we find that he left his home and set 

 out to face the world at the age of thirteen years. He first found 

 employment at New Haven, Conn., as a clerk in a book store. 

 Afterwards he entered the English department of the Seminary at 

 Andover, Mass., for the purpose of perfecting his knowledge of the 

 science of surveying and adding to his stock of general knowledge, 

 and after leaving the Seminary he spent three or four years at sur- 

 veying, teaching and farming in the state of New York. He came 

 to Rockford, 111., in 1845 and purchased a farm, but did not remain 

 there long. From there he went to Wisconsin, and after engaging 

 in various pursuits he proceeded to Alamakee county, Iowa, and 

 was United States deputy surveyor, did considerable work in that 

 state and the adjoining Northwest, and thus became familiar with 

 the aspect and wants of this counrry and fitted to enter with zeal 

 upon a course that would hasten its development. In 1854 he 

 came into this state and began work upon a farm and was the foun- 

 der of the town of Oronoco, and in IST'"* he was nominated and 

 elected to a seat in the senate of our legislature, upon an antimo- 

 nopoly platform. He settled in St. Paul in 1872, where he con- 



