need the assistance of our knowledge and experience? What more can, or ought, we to do than we are now doing?

Our society published this past year 1,200 magazines per month, or 14,400 in the year. If our membership are doing their full duty, as very many are doing, this means that a good many people see our monthly, as our members do not retain them, being furnished later with a cloth bound volume containing the same matter in a permanent form. To supply the bound volumes needed for this purpose consumes a large portion of the 1,800 that the present state law provides for us, 300 of which are bound in paper. We reach a good many people besides those referred to above through the agency of the public libraries of the state, where our volumes are to be found. But we are not satisfied. There must be other channels through which we can reach the people. Shall we send our monthly gratuitously to the public reading rooms and libraries of the state and our bound volumes to the school libraries? Or would it be well to endeavor to introduce the study of horticulture into the public schools by the use of some simple primer, to which a short time might be given, say once a week? Perhaps it might be well, too, for the society to deal a little more liberally with the local organizations if some plan could be devised to bring the horticulturists of each neighborhood into a local band, all of these local organizations to become a part of the central society, which would give it strength and increase the avenues through which the people might be reached.

The financial statement of the year is as follows:

MEMBERSHIP:

The number of annual members on the roll for the year just closing is 760, which is 117 more than for the preceding year at the time of the annual meeting. The life roll has been increased during the year by the addition of six names, and decreased by only one death, that of Andrew Peterson, who passed away March 31 last. Our life members will be interested to hear that the life certificate, which has been talked of for a good while, has at length materalized and will be soon sent out. We hope it will be handsome enough to deserve a neat frame, and that you will be proud to hang this emblem of your membership with us on the walls of your homes. Besides the foregoing, we must record the deaths of J. O. Barrett and J. A. Sampson, both old members, as occurring during the year.

We have felt a special pride in the fine exhibit of fruit at the state fair. To those of our members who were present no reference is needed, but for the benefit of others the simple statement that there were on exhibition altogether 5,300 plates of fruit, will give some idea of the extensiveness of this exhibit. We occupied practically the whole hall. What we may be able to do next year to improve on this remains to be seen, but certainly it will be very difficult for us to increase upon last fall's show of fruit. It was a source of some regret that we did not have an opportunity to make a horticultural exhibit at the Omaha Exposition, but the funds at the command of the state commission were insufficient to allow our interests the amount necessary to make a creditable exhibit, and it was reluctantly abandoned.

Reference should by strict right be made in this report to the very efficient assistance rendered the society in its efforts to reach the people by the lecturers on horticulture in the Farmers' Institutes. The different lecturers of late years, including Mr. Clarence Wedge, the lamented E. J. Cutts, Ex.-Sec'y Oliver Gibbs, Jr., for a short time, and during the most of last winter Mr. A. K. Bush, have made a practice of distributing regularly at the institute copies of our magazine and other society literature, which has been the means of securing a good many members for the society, and of promoting very largely the interests which it is the mission of the society to foster. The statement is no reflection on others who ably filled this position prior to this time, as the society then had no similar literature for distribution. You will be pleased to know that Mr. O. M. Lord is this winter to fill the position of horticultural lecturer at the institute, and is today on the platform at Morristown making his maiden speech and giving out good horticultural tracts.

Order No. 55. Exp. Secretary's office from June 23, '97, to Dec. 6, '97..$ 292.47

60.

64

Exp. Secretary's office from Dec. 6, '97, to June 25, '98 61. Premiums, 1898 summer meeting.

655.32

68.50

65. Treasurer's salary, '98, C. W. Sampson.. Dec. 5. Balance on hand.......

LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.

A. W. LATHAM, LIBRARIAN.

There have been added to the library the past year sixty-seven volumes by contribution, and something over one hundred have been ordered, to pay for which the board has made an appropriation of $300. The list will be published in full in an early number of the "Horticulturist." For the acco nmodation of these new books, a section of Wernicke's library shelves has been procured, with glazed fronts to protect them. It is hoped that the members will, as convenient, call at the library and see these new acquisitions, which are largely standard horticultural works, and we expect will be made of great value, especially for the purpose of reference. Perhaps some system should be devised whereby those members who cannot come to the office could have the use of these books.

The assistant librarian, Mr. E. A. Cuzner, reports his inability to make a list of what he has on hand until the holidays. It will be practically the same as last year or the year before, with the addition of about 500 volumes of the reports of 1897, half of which are in cloth, the balance in paper.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. (ADOPTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.)

The committee to whom you referred the president's address appreciate the suggestions in regard to securing a home for the society, and to carry out the suggestions offer the following resolutions:

Resolved, That a committee of three, consisting of J. M. Underwood, Wyman Elliot and A. W. Latham be, and is hereby, appointed to confer with the proper authorities in regard to obtaining a home for the society.

Resolved, That we, as a society, recognize the work of the Women's Auxiliary, and recommend that the members do all that they can to aid and further their work,

Resolved, That the president appoint a committee of one to confer with the state superintendent of public instruction to devise some plan whereby the study of horticulture and forestry may be introduced into our public schools.

Resolved, That one thousand dollars reward be offered, as recommended by the president, to secure the introduction of a firstclass late keeping variety of apple, that is as good as the Wealthy in size, quality and appearance, that will keep as well as the Malinda, and is as hardy and prolific as the Duchess, all the details in connection with putting this resolution in force to be left with the executive board.

THOMAS T. SMITH,
R. A. WRIght,
DEWAIN COOK,

Committee.

Mr. Barnes, (Wis.): Is that offer extended to your society only or to your state alone, or is it extended to your sister states ?

The President: It is open to the world.

Mr. Barnes: We will be with you then. (Laughter.)

Mr. Elliot: The idea occurred to me when that report was read that that money should be put into a fund and the interest from that fund should go to make other premiums for other fruit that would be my idea. I think the idea of referring it to the executive board is a good one; it would receive intelligent attention at their hands, and I do not think the executive board would be a body of men to take the money and use it while waiting the introduction of new varieties, I think the matter would be perfectly safe if left in the hands of the executive board for disposition.

Mr. Harris: It is expected that the executive board will make some kind of a rule governing the introduction of that apple; probably the apple will have to be grown in a dozen

different places in order to test it. It should be in the hands of the executive board whenever the apple is found.

The President: So far as the money is concerned, there will be no trouble in securing that. The recommendation is that this society take this step to show its interest in this matter and put it in some form, so it may be shown that the state horticultural society is back of this movement.

Mr. Bush: This is a matter I have had in mind for some time, and it is an excellent idea, and if we find an apple of that kind it will be worth many times its cost to Minnesota.

Mr. Barnes, (Wis.): I want to suggest this, that if the goal is never reached, which, however, I hope will be, this action of the society will be worth millions of dollars to the northwest. We will go at it with new vigor, even if we never reach the premium, and the effort put forth to obtain that new apple will be of wonderful value to the horticultural interests of the northwest. I want to congratulate you as being the banner society in offering such a reward. I believe our future pros. perity and wonderful improvement lies in the originating of new seedling varieties and the propagation of varieties already originated.

Mr. Walker: Does not that need some explanation? As I understand it, it must be an apple that can be grown here in Minnesota.

Mr. Philips, (Wis.): If it is as hardy as the Duchess it can be grown here.

Mr. T. T. Smith: In regard to carrying out this matter, it will require a good many years to test the tree so it can pass the test prescribed. In 1871 I came into this society and asked for a list of trees suitable for planting in this section. The society appointed a committee, of which Dr. Jewell was a member, and that committee made up a list, and of that list there is but one tree that the society recommended that is alive today, and that is the Duchess. There were Ben Davis, Famous, Perry Russet, Saxton, Tetofsky and the Haas. planted the whole list the next year, and I have but seventeen trees left--two of the Tallman Sweet and the others the Duchess; all the rest went in the hard winter of 1873.

I

Mr. C. L. Smith: There is one point that suggests itself to me. It is the intention that this reward shall be given for the production of this variety of apple, and is it to remain the property of the originator, or is the society to own the stock for dissemination? You can readily see how that some man