30 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



We learn that the officers of the Agricultural Society have set 

 apart a room to be used during the next Fair for evening meetings, 

 and that they invite tlie Pomological Society to occupy one evening. 

 Should you decide to hold an exhibition in connection with them, 

 we think the executive committee should not fail to accept the in- 

 vitation and make early arrangement for an attractive programme. 

 The policy of holding our annual exhibition in the same location for 

 a long term of years, demands our consideration. From p pecuni- 

 ary point of view the present arrangement may seem best for the 

 Society, but as we aim to benefit the whole State, would it not be 

 decidedly better to visit some of the more remote parts occasion- 

 ally? Could we not afford to make some sacrifice to meet with those 

 who share to a greater or less degree our interest in these matters , 

 but cannot arrange to meet us here? 



We think our premium list needs soma revision but would not 

 recommend any radical changes. We would suggest as an advan- 

 tage, the ofliering of a liberal premium for the best essay on some 

 horticultural topic, to be read at our winter meeting. 



We would call attention especially to the necessity of revising the 

 Society's catalogue of fruits. In our opinion, many of the new va- 

 rieties with which our State is being flooded, should have a place in 

 the list, so that our people may know what to discard as well as what 

 to plant ; and when any variety of fruit is condemned, the reason for 

 the same should be given. There are so few of our prominent fruit- 

 growers in attendance at this meeting that it would be impossible to 

 do the work thoroughl}' now, had we the time to do so. To make a 

 reliable list we should have the opinion of hundreds of our best fruit- 

 growers in all parts of the State, and this can be accomplished only 

 by correspondence ; therefore, it seems to us highly important that a 

 committee be appointed whose duty it shall be to perfect some sys- 

 tem and make up a catalogue which shall be forwarded to the Secre- 

 tary in season to be printed in our next report. 



An effort has been made for several years to secure a reduction of 

 postage on seeds, bulbs and plants by mail. Unquestionably the 

 present rate is excessive as compared with that of other countries ; 

 we pay just four times as much postage on this class of mail matter 

 as do our Canadian neighbors, while in England a package of eleven 

 pounds requires a little more than half the postage we pay on a four 

 pound package. As we are all directly interested in this matter, I 

 suggest that we take such action as shall throw the weight of our 

 influence to favor the passage of the bill now pending in Congress. 



