54 ANNUAL REPORT. 



in well doing, that the legislature will repeal our law ; but rather, 

 if the people want more copies, they will be provided. If we grow 

 dull, lazy or trifling, they ought to repeal it. 



THE REPORT FOR 1884. 



That the report for i884 need not be a retrograde, but rather 

 an advancement, the materials now in hand, and the prospects for 

 this meeting, afi'ord good promise. 



EXPENSES OF DISTRIBUTING REPORTS. 



By the change in the printing law the expense of the distribu- 

 tion has to be borne by the society. 



Previous to that, by a construction of two acts in reference to 

 our society, not in harmony with each other, the Secretary of 

 State furnished a part of the postage. At the summer meeting an 

 appropriation of $75 was made for this expense, but it was not 

 enough, and while the law remains as it is, it will be necessary to 

 estimate the cost of postage on the distribution at $100 per year at 

 least, in order that it may be promptly done, and to our best ad- 

 vantage, until we succeed in having local societies organized that 

 will take them by express or freight in bundles, and attend to the 

 distribution to members, officials and the press, for us. 



EXCHANGES. 



We receive in exchange a small number of copies of other state 

 societies and from the Montreal Horticultural Society. I am in 

 hopes soon, if we keep up the present high grade of our work, 

 that we can get enough in exchange to supply all of our members 

 who want them. A full file of reports of other societies is very 

 essential to any one writing papers for our meetings, and nothing is 

 more productive of good writing and increasing the list of writers 

 than the distribution of this kind of literature. 



THE CANADIAN SOCIETIES. 



We have been deriving much benefit, for years past, from the la- 

 bors of the Montreal Horticultural Society, and the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association, through the kindness of Charles Gibb of the 

 one and President William Saunders of the other, in keeping us 

 supplied with their reports and current literature; and now, we 



