428 ANNUAL REPORT. 



fruits shall be tested under the charge of the state societies." Mr. 

 Auger heartily endorsed this plan, and offered a resolution to the effect 

 that each state society or board of agriculture be urged to employ a 

 certain number of experts to try all new fruits that shall be submitted 

 to them for growth and test, whose duty it shall be to report the result 

 in each case. The resolution was adopted. The last paper was by 

 Mr. E. T. Field, of New Jersey, on "The Cocoanut, its uses, and how 

 and where to grow it." The committee sent to the Munson & Knapp 

 farm to compare the Worden and Concord grapes reported. The Wor- 

 den was considered the better, taking all things into consideration. 

 The collection of fruit was large and very fine. The committee 

 reported nearly 2,200 plates on exhibition, of which Michigan fur- 

 nished 1,000; Ohio 114; Missourri2Il; Ellwanger & Barry, of Roches- 

 ter, N. Y., 140; Benj. G. Smith, Cambridge, Mass. 61; Henry M. 

 Engle & Son of Marietta, Pa. 61; and Prof. L. H.Bailey, jr., Lansing, 

 Mich., 15, besides several other smaller lots. The committee awarded 

 the Wilder gold medal to Marshall P. Wilder for his collection of 

 100 varieties of pears. 



The last evening session consisted of short speeches from about 

 twenty of the most prominent members, after which the society 

 adjourned to meet in Boston in 18S7. 



HORTICULTURAL LEGISLATION. 



Chas. W. Garfield, the efficient secretary of the Michigan state 

 horticultural society for many years past, has compiled some interest- 

 ing facts relative to the legislation of the different states and provinces, 

 from which we take the following extracts. In his introductory he 

 says: 



"In performing the duties which have devolved upon me since my 

 first election to the office of secretary of the Michigan horticultural 

 society, and in shaping the policy of the society, I have often ques- 

 tioned what other societies have done under similar conditions. In 

 seeking the information desired, I have always found the secretaries 

 of sister societies ready to render any assistance in their power, and 

 oftentimes at a personal sacrifice they have furnished the data sought. 

 It occurred to me during the last year that inasmuch as the matter of 

 securing special legislation in the interests of horticulture and forestry 

 was occupying the attention of societies and individuals in various 

 states about us to a considerable extent, it might be profitable to in- 



