STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 39 



support and encouragement of the State legislature, and there- 

 fore very proper that those of us who are permitted to attend 

 this gathering should meet at this time at the State capitol. That 

 reason has induced the two associations to co-operate for this 

 purpose. We also do it for another purpose. We hope during 

 the present winter that some action may be taken towards pro- 

 viding a permanent home for the agricultural interests of the 

 State, and hope that if this is accomplished the Horticultural 

 Society and the Amber Cane Association may have a per- 

 manent place for holding their meetings. Some of us have 

 taken no little degree of interest in regard to this matter and 

 want to see the interests of these societies advanced, and we have 

 grounds for hope and confidence of success in what we have 

 attempted to do, and we expect to see established a permanent 

 future home for these industries of the State. As a means to this 

 end we have thought it desirable that these meetings be held here 

 where members would be able to meet the representatives of their 

 several localities, as well as those of other localities, and enable 

 them to understand the true interests of these associations. 



We hope this meeting will be one of interest and benefit to all, 

 and may be of advantage to you and to those who come after you. 

 I have no doubt, from my knowledge of the associations in the 

 past, that we shall be enabled to accomplish something to aid us 

 in taking and keeping the position we have attained as one of the 

 most successful, notwithstanding our position geographically, for 

 the products we represent, in the United States. 



I hope, and feel assured, we shall have a report from our 

 exhibit at Kew Orleans that will be most admirable and that will 

 l)e a grand compliment to ourselves and these two associations, 

 in common with the milling and grain-growing industries of the 

 State; I trust and believe it will be a credit to us all. And in 

 order that we may continue to advance and may be enabled to main- 

 tain our reputation as successful associations in the future, I 

 trust we shall receive the assistance of the State which shall 

 guarantee much more of success than anything which has here- 

 tofore been accomplished. 



Gentlemen of the associations here represented, I have great 

 pleasure in welcoming you jto St. Paul. 



President Smith announced that the secretary, Oliver Gibbs, 

 Jr., was absent at I^ew Orleans, and he would appoint S. D. 

 Hillman, of Minneapolis, to act as secretary jyro tern., who had 

 been engaged to report the proceedings of this session. It would 

 be necessary to have an assistant secretary. 



