ANNUAL REPORT. 197 



pete for the prizes are practically the same individuals year 

 after year and but few new ones are added. If growers knew 

 the great benefit to be gained by participating in these shows, 

 not to speak of the pecuniary advantages, they would surely 

 prepare and send in exhibits, even if but a few plates of fruit. 

 A fruit grower can learn more by entering these friendly con- 

 tests than in almost any other way. In the future it is earn- 

 estly hoped that more of our members will l)e represented 

 by their fruits at the Annual Exhibition. 



The liberal treatment and kindly assistance received from 

 the managers of the Rockville Fair deserves special mention. 

 Xever has the Society been better treated than in the two 

 years we have exhibited in that city. To them, and to all our 

 workers who helped with the numerous details of the exhi- 

 bition, is due the credit for the pronounced success of the 

 event. 



Report of Institute Work for 1905. 



The Secretary's Report covered quite fully the Society's 

 Institute work of the past year, and the subject is only referred 

 to here for the sake of making the record conform with that 

 published in previous annual Reports. 



It should be understood that the Farmers' Institute work, 

 as carried out by this Society for a number of years past, has 

 been purely voluntary, nothing in the legislative action, 

 which makes an annual appropriation to the Society, requiring 

 it. Nor does the Society's own Constitution recognize such 

 work. Institutes have been added to the other features of 

 our work, because there seemed to be a pressing need for 

 such educational work among the farmers and fruit growers 

 of the state and because it opened up still another channel 

 for carrying the benefits of the Pomological organization to 

 a large number of people. 



The success attending our efforts and the increased 

 demand for these institutes year after year prove conclusivel}^ 

 the wisdom of the Society engaging in this work. 



