On Thursday morning, small fruits will be considered for home use and for market, in the afternoon plant breeding will be discussed. Wednesday and Thursday evenings will be devoted to landscape work and home adornment. We have tried to cover as wide a range of horticultural subjects as possible in the nine sessions assigned for this annual meeting. This is not an apple growers convention but a horticultural conference. For several years we have been compelled to refuse applications for space by manufacturers of spray pumps and chemicals for the control of insect pests and fungous diseases because there is no place in the State House where we could exhibit them. If such exhibits are desired at the annual meeting it will be necessary to provide space elsewhere for them. Possibly an arrangement could be made to hold a one day session at the State Fair and have spraying machinery shown there. I believe a summer meeting would be an advantage if held in some fruit-growing or gardening center where much of the time could be spent in visiting orchards and gardens. A publicity fund should be provided whereby the work of the society could be brought more prominently to the notice of the people of the state. REPORT OF THE TREASURER DEBITS. December 10, 1912, to balance on hand as per report. . $1,490.63 1,000.00 1,000.00 July 1,000.00 October, 1913, cash, State Auditor's warrant... December 3, 1913, membership fees from Secretary, 13 life..... 1,000.00 25.00 65.00 11.00 $5,591.63 Credits by disbursements as follows: December 12, 1912. 772-F. P. Spencer, expenses as vice-president $ 29.31 773-Geo. H. Van Houten, expenses as director December 13, 1912. 783-C. G. Blodgett, expenses as director and December 13, 1912. 784-Millard Harrington, expenses as director December 13, 1912. 789-F. O. Harrington, expenses and station December 13, 1912. 59.18 December 13, 1912. December 13, 1912. 790-W. B. Chapman, expenses as director.. 19.20 66.94 9.25 December 13, 1912. 803-D. W. Lotspeich, premiums on fruit.... December 13,1912. 805-A. T. Erwin, expenses as delegate to 7.00 54.11 December 26, 1912. 808-W. T. Richey, expenses as delegate to 1913 January 30, 1913. 811-Wesley Greene, salary to February 13, February 3, 1913. 812-P. F. Kinne, expenses as delegate to 250.00 April 12, 1913. 815-C. H. True, appropriation to Northeastern April 12, 1913. 816-H. N. Antisdel, appropriation to North The following committees were appointed: On President's Address-W. B. Chapman, G. D. Black and Eugene Secor. On Secretary's Report-C. F. Gardner, L. A. Clemons, and C. A. Campbell. On Treasurer's Report-W. C. Haviland, P. F. Kinne, and G. D. Black. The Reports of the Directors were read as follows: REPORT OF DIRECTOR, FIRST DISTRICT. BY C. G. BLODGETT, MOUNT PLEASANT. The very mild and even temperature of the winter brought us into a rather early spring with almost everything in the fruit line in very promising condition, but a frost, just as pears were in full bloom, cut the crop in certain places considerable, but in other localities a fair to good crop was realized. Apples bloomed and set more than an average and so continued until the heat and drouth in July and thenceforth made such great havoc that by gathering time but little more than 25 to 40 per cent remained on the trees, and that of inferior quality. Cherries from poor to fair, say one-half crop. Not many plums, except Blue Damson and of those in many places a good yield and of excellent quality. Again for our part of the state I can say a good word for the peach. The budded varieties, though not heavily loaded, bore a good crop of most excellent quality, and sold readily at $1.50 to $2.00 per bushel. Seedlings though small were good quality and mostly taken at 50 to 75 cents per bushel. Grapes again a good crop, while berries suffered much from heat and drouth. The exceedingly dry fall of 1912 had its effect on the strawberry yield of this year. A severe hail storm on the 13th of May, passing through the center of Henry County, and of course Mt. Pleasant was in its path, did quite a little damage to berries, plums and cherries, also breaking off many of the fruit bearing new growth of the grape. Otherwise May and the greater part of June were ideal months for the fruit grower. Then came the excessive heat and drouth, some thought worse than that of 1901 and that year we always refer to as the hot, dry summer. The codling moth and curculio have been exceedingly numerous and very busy. Also a new bug to me, appeared on the red raspberries early in July, a lively little fellow, that in one respect had |