STATE HORTICULTDKAL SOCIETY. 25S 



Tlie following sufficiently explains itself: 



MINNEAPOLIS. MINN., Sept. 12, 1885. 

 VV. .]. Ilahn, Esq., Attorney General: 



St. Pnid, Minn. 



Dear Sir : — At a meeting of the Executive Uommittee of the Minneapolis Stale Horticultural Society , 

 held on the 10th instant, the undersigned was directed to communicate with yoii and to ask an opin- 

 io:, in regard to the action of State Auditor Braden in withholding an order upon the State Treasurer 

 for a portion of the annual state appropriation of the Society. 



The point upon which the committee desire information is as to whether the Society is entitled to the 

 annual appropriation of one thousand dollars granted to aid the Society, to be expende I for such pur- 

 pose as its Board of Directors may deem necessary and proper? 



Section 3 of chapter 72, General Laws of 1881 provides as follows : 



Sec. 3. '-That the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) be annually appropriated, out of any mon- 

 eys not otherwise appropriated, to aid the said Horticultural society in the work of distributing their 

 reports, collecting data, specimens pertaining to horticulture, providing a suitable place for its books, 

 specimens and articles of the society, and for payment of salary an^ expenses of its secretary and com- 

 mittees for labor actually performed by them, and other uses that may, in the opinion of the Board of 

 Directors be deemed necessary and proper. The said sum shall be paid by the State Treasurer on the 

 order of the President of said Horticultural Society." 



In order to raise the question fully and to get an authoritative decision upon the same, it may be well 

 to give a statement of the condition of the funds of the Society as shown by the report of the Treasurer 

 as well as the action taken by its Executive Board, since the act referred to has been in force. 



A.t the annual meeting held in January 1882, the President of the Society, in his annual address, 

 called attention to the act of the Legislature and recommended action thereon, as follows : 



(See page 43, Report 1882.) "Since the adjournment of our last annual meeting the State Legislature 

 has granted us an annual appropriation of $l,00ii. This sum if judiciously used may prove of great 

 benefit to the Society and to the people of the State at large. It remains with you at this meeting to 

 say what disposition shall be made of it. See to it that its disposition shall reflect credit upon us, ac- 

 complish the object for which it is designed, and secure for us the confidence of the tax-payers of the 

 State. I am in favor of setting aside a portion of the amount to be used only in the payment of premi- 

 ums to be oflered to encourage the growing of fruits from seeds, the oft'er to be so guarded as to leave no 

 chance for imposition, and 1 think that we ought, without delay, to create a committee to perfect a 

 premium list and make rules to govern it. I would say $500 for the best long keeping variety, as 

 hardy as Duchess or Siberians, of good quality, fine appearance, medium to large in size, to keep until 

 May ; $400 for second best, s-ame rules to govern : $300 for the third best ; $300 for best winter sweet 

 apples ; $100 for a grape as hardy as the Concord, as good or better in appearance and quality, two 

 weeks earlier and that will keep well into winter. If any or all of these were now originated, it would 

 require five more years to give them the requisite tests and probably $200 per year would meet the de- 

 mand." 



The Committee on President's address, consisting of Messi's. S. M. Emery, J. H. Stevens and F. 0. 

 Gould, subsequently submitted a report which was adopted, in which they recommended action with 

 regard to the creation of a fund for payment of premiums, as follows : (See page 112, Report 1882.) 



' 'Second. That the Executive Committee be instructed to appropriate the sum of ($200) two hnn- 

 dred dollars, to be set aside annually from the annual appropriation of $1,000, and invested in interest 

 bearing bonds, interest and principal to be devoted to a premium list, with the object in view of in- 

 creasing our list of hardy winter varieties of apples, under such restrictions as shall be deemed best by 

 the Society." 



The Secretary, in his annual report for that year, remarks : 



"With its customary liberality in forwarding projects of public weal, our last regular session of the 

 Legislature granted us an annual appropriation of $1,000 to aid us in our work, and also increased the 

 number of our reports to be printed by the State and also allowed us an increased number of pages." 



Mr. J. T. Grimes, present Treasurer of the Society, at the conclusion of an article on ''the cultiva- 

 tion and protection of orchards in Minnesota," says : (See page 121, Report 1882.) 



"The State has given us a liberal annual appropriation to aid us in our investigations and experi- 

 ments and will certainly look to us for its legitimate results."' 



