Tenth Annual Meeting 5 



report of the Society's condition, with some account of 

 the past year's work as far as the secretary's office is con- 

 cerned. 



Perhaps of most interest to you will be a report of our 

 membership. We have enrolled sixty-five new members dur- 

 ing the year. The total number of bona fide members to-day 

 is 309. (I say bona fide members for the reason that our by- 

 laws have determined that no person whose membership fees 

 are unpaid for two years shall be considered a member, and 

 while we have in all 339 names on the roll, the thirty delin- 

 quents must be counted out when we consider our actual 

 membership.) Perhaps it is to be expected that from year to 

 year some will drop out of the list, but we can but think it 

 more a matter of carelessness than that a man should be so 

 short-sighted as to withhold a dollar for membership in a 

 progressive horticultural association when the returns are so 

 large. We must all admit that the problem of keeping 

 our present membership, also gaining new members, is no 

 easy one to solve and requires much effort on the part of 

 your officers. Other societies have the same thing to con- 

 tend with. I want to say right here that our Membership 

 Committee, especially Mr. Ives, has done excellent work in 

 securing new members. Our county vice-presidents might also 

 fulfil their duty in this respect and interest fruit-growers in 

 their sections in our work. In addition to this, let each 

 member see that his own membership is renewed promptly, 

 and also bring into the Society at least one friend during the 

 year. From February i, 1900, to February i, 1901, I have 

 received and paid over to the treasurer for membership fees 

 and from other sources, in all $244, and have drawn orders 

 for the payment of bills to the amount of $901.10. 



During the past year the Society has held six meetings, 

 — the annual meeting in February, two institutes, two field 

 meetings and the annual fall meeting and exhibition. Of the 

 annual meeting of a year ago I need not speak. The pro- 

 ceedings have been printed and are here ready for distribution. 



March 16, 1900, a second invitation from the Grange in 

 Southington to hold an institute in that town was accepted. 

 Despite a severe storm of snow and ice, a good meeting was 



