EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING 73 



incentive to keeping our full membership from year to year 

 will be the publication of our proceedings, which, of course, 

 would be issued only to paid members. 



From February i, 1898, to February i, i8gg, I have 

 received and turned over to the Treasurer the sum of 1^144, 

 and have drawn orders for the payment of bills to the 

 amount of $127.85. Our receipts have been further increased 

 by the payment of the state bounty on account of the 

 annual fruit exhibition, so that the Treasurer is able to 

 report a snug balance in the treasury. 



In 1898 the Society held six meetings, including the 

 annual one in February. Also two institutes : at Southing- 

 ton, January 21, with Union Grange, and one with Cheshire 

 Grange, March 23, both very successful affairs. 



The first field meeting of the season was held August 23, 

 on the large market-garden farm of A. N. Farnham, at New 

 Haven. Over 150 members and their friends accepted Mr. 

 Farnham's kind invitation, and found very much to interest 

 and instruct them in looking over the 400 acres devoted to 

 vegetable and fruit crops. 



A month later the Society was invited to meet with C. I. 

 Allen, of Terryville, among the beautiful Litchfield county 

 hills, where he has made such a pronounced success of 

 fruit culture. 



A fall meeting and exhibition of fruits was held October 

 13, at Wallingford, in connection with a meeting of the New 

 Haven county Pomona Grange. To the surprise of even 

 the most sanguine this first attempt of the Society along 

 this line was a decided success. There were in all 125 

 entries of fruits, and premiums to the amount of $108.50 

 were awarded. In the opinion of experts and authorities 

 there were more perfect specimens of apples shown at this 

 meeting than at all the combined fairs held in the state 

 during 1898. This exhibition was a great credit to the 

 Society, and resulted in stimulating among fruit-growers a 

 new interest and a desire to produce fruit of finer quality. 



There have been sent out from this office, during the 

 year, nearly 2,000 programmes, notices and circulars, besides 

 hundreds of personal letters, all having been done at an 

 expense of $29.75. This indicates to some extent the 



