STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 395- 



THE NEXT ANNUAL MEETING. 



On motion of Mr. Harris the place of holding the next annual meet- 

 ing was fixed at the State Capitol, St. Paul, commencing the third 

 Tuesday in January next. 



Prof. Porter. Mr. President, I would like at this stage of the pro- 

 ceedings of this meeting to call up a matter for a little consultation 

 and action, if possible. It is well known that the State Amber Cane 

 Association is a child of the State Horticultural Society; that a few 

 years ago they were in the same house and fed at the same table, but 

 in the course of time with increasing growth the boy felt himself a 

 little bigger than the "dady" and he wanted to set up for himself. 

 This Society kept it, as it were, in lead strings for awhile and extended 

 its fostering care. But the Amber cane industry for two or three years 

 past, owing to circumstances .entirely beyond control, the existing low 

 prices of syrups, unfavorable seasons, etc., has had a damper thrown 

 over it and we have not been able, out of a membership of some 250, 

 perhaps, to secure the attendance at our meetings that we ought to 

 have. I find in looking over our list of membership that nearly all 

 our members are also members of the Horticultural Society. They 

 want to attend both meetings, but do not feel like taking a second 

 week to go to both meetings. It is impossible to carry on the operations 

 of these two societies at the same time. What I would suggest is that 

 we might get a day out of the week that the State Horticultural Society 

 meets for our meeting, and, if necessary, have a meeting of five days* 

 session for both societies. Or, I would suggest that time might be 

 saved by accepting papers presented by their titles and placing them 

 on file for publication. As papers are read here they do not do a tenth, 

 of the good that one gets from sitting down and carefully reading them 

 at his leisure. Nearly two-thirds of the time of this meeting has been 

 taken up with the reading and listening to these papers, although I 

 will say in this connection that of the six meetings of this Society 

 which I have had the pleasure of attending that I consider this by far 

 the best of the six — and I consider the papers that have been presented 

 here by far the ablest papers we have ever had presented before any 

 meeting of the State Horticultural Society. 



President Smith. A four or five days' meeting is the most that we 

 could get. It seems to me it might be arranged if the Amber Cane 

 Association could get. through with its work in half a day. 



Prof. Porter. I think it would be better if we could get a day. We 

 hardly get warmed up in half a day. 



