Life-Dr. Joseph Hobbins, Ex-President, F. G. S., Corresponding Member Royal Horticultural Society, England, Madison; O. S. Willey, Ex-Recording Secretary; Benton Harbor, Michigan. Annual A. R. Whitney, Franklin Grove, Ill.; Mrs H. M. Lewis, Madison; Mrs. I. H. Williams, Madison, Mrs. M. M. Davis, Baraboo. Constitution and By-Laws. Adopted at the Annual Meeting in February, 1868. CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE I.-This Society shall be known as the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. ARTICLE II.-Its object shall be the advancement of the science of Pomology and the art of Horticulture. ARTICLE III.-Its members shall consist of Annual members, paying an annual fee of one dollar; of Life members paying a fee of ten dollars at one time, and of Honorary members, who shall only be members of distinguished merit in horticultural or kindred sciences, or who shall confer any particular benefit upon the society, who may by vote be invited to participate in the proceedings of the Society. ARTICLE IV.-Its officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Board, consisting of the foregoing officers and the ex-President, and three members to be elected annually; five of whom shall constitute a quorum at any of its meetings. In addition to the foregoing officers, the Presidents of all local societies shall be deemed honorary members, and ex-officio Vice-Presidents of this society. All officers shall be elected by ballot, and shall hold their office for one year thereafter, and until their successors are elected. ARTICLE V.-The Society shall hold annual meetings, commencing on the Monday next preceding the first Tuesday of February, for the election of officers, for discussions, and for the exhibition of fruits; also, one meeting during the fall, for the exhibition of fruits and for discussions, at such time and place as the Executive Board shall designate. ARTICLE VI.-This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present. BY-LAWS. I. The President shall preside at meetings, and with the advice of the Secretary, call all meetings of the society, and have a general superintendence of the affairs of the society; and shall deliver an annual address, upon some subject connected with horticulture. II. The Vice-President shall act in the absence or disability of the President, and perform the duties of the chief officer. III. The secretaries of local societies shall; by correspondence and personal intercourse with the horticulturists of their respective districts, obtain accurate information of the condition and progress of horticulture, and report to this society. IV. The Corresponding Secretary shall attend to all the correspondence of the society. V. The Recording Secretary shall record the proceedings of the society, preserve all papers belonging to the same, and superintend the publication of its reports. VI. The Treasurer shall receive and keep an account of all moneys belonging to the society, and disburse the same on the written order of the President, countersigned by the Secretary, and shall make an annual report of receipts and disbursements. VII. The Executive Board may, subject to the approval of the society, manage all its affairs, and fill vacancies in the board of officers; three of their number, as designated by the President shall constitute a finance committee, VIII. It shall be the duty of the finance committee to settle with the Treasurer, and to examine and report upon all bills or claims against the society, which may have been presented and referred to them. REPORTS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES. BROWN COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. This society is still in active operation, meeting frequently and laboring to advance the interests of horticulture in this section. President J. M. Smith, Green Bay. Secretary-W. Reynolds, Green Bay. FREEDOM HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following are the officers of the Freedom Horticultural Society for the present year: President-Charles Hirschinger, Baraboo. Vice-President-M. T. Nippert. Secretary-W. C. T. Newell, North Freedom. Treasurer-August Bender, Baraboo. GRAND CHUTE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. At the fourth annual meeting of the Grand Chute Horticultural Society the following persons were elected officers: President-W. H. P. Bogan. Treasurer-L. Briggs. Secretary-D. Huntley. The meetings held by this society have been devoted mainly to the discussion of small-fruits. JANESVILLE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following were elected officers of the Janesville Horticultural Society for the years 1875-6: President-Alexander Graham. Vice-President-Geo. J. Kellogg. SecretaryE. B. Heimstreet. Treasurer-D. E. Fifield. We have at present thirty-eight life-members. Our annual fair was held in October, 1875, at the same time with the Southern Wisconsin. The show of fruit was very fine; in the floral department the display, both in quantity and variety, far exceeded anything of the kind ever held here. LEMONWEIR VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Lemonweir Valley Horticultural Society held its second annual meeting at Tomah, January 18, 1876, and elected the following officers: President J. F. Freeman, Tomah. Vice-President J. P. Sheldin, New Lisbon. Treasurer-C. H. Grote, Mauston. Secretary-Dr. H. Allen, Tomah. TrusteesC. W. Potter, Mauston; Mrs. E. Wescott, New Lisbon; C. W. Kellogg, Tomah. The society has held eight meetings during the year, at which six or eight essays have been read, five set speeches delivered, and one or more discussions held at each meeting. MADISON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The society's working force having been reduced, by circumstances beyond its control, it was deemed best to suspend active work for the time being. It is now resolved to revive the work for the present year at once. The following officers have been elected for the year 1876: President-William T. Leitch. Vice-Presidents-Joseph Hobbins, Edward Thompson. Corresponding Secretary—Mrs. H. M. Lewis. Recording Secretary— F. W. Case. Treasurer-Timothy Brown. RICHLAND COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The society met at Richland Centre September 23, 1875, and elected the following officers for the coming year: President-D. L. Downs. Vice-President-W. Dixon. Secretary-G. H. Putnam. Treasurer-John Winn. SAUK COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following have been elected as officers of this association. President-S. W. Grubb, Baraboo. Vice-President-John Rooney, Freedom. Recording Secretary-J. N. Savage, Baraboo. Corresponding Secretary-Wm. Toole, Excelsior. Treasurer-D. E. Palmer, Fairfield. Executive CommitteeJohn Dickie, Jr., H. H. Howlett, A. M. Petty, A. C, Tuttle, and C. Hirschinger. ST. CROIX VALLEY HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. This society held its annual meeting in the village of River Falls, and elected officers for the current year, as follows: President-S. M. Davis. Vice-President.-J. W. Winn. Recording SecretaryOsborn Strahl. Corresponding Secretary-R. J. Wilcox. Treasurer-M. D. Proctor. Executive Committee—O. C. Hicks, E. S. Whitehead, John Green. WINNEKAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The officers of this society are: President-John O'Brien. Vice-Presidents-J. R. Paddleford, Wm. M. Morgan. Treasurer-R. D. Torrey. Secretary-R. J. Harney. Corresponding Secretary-E. S. Hayden. Executive Committee-A. G. Lull, G. A. Randall, M. Whitemarsh, Isaac Miles, J. R. Paddleford. The above officers were elected at the annual, January meeting, and R. J. Harney, chosen as delegate, to represent the association in the convention of the State Horticultural Society. ADDRESSES AND PAPERS BEFORE THE WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, AT THE Annual Meeting held in the Agricultural Rooms, Madison, February 1, 2, and 3, 1875. ANNUAL ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, A. G. TUTTLE, BARABOO. Gentlemen of the State Horticultural Society: The constitution of your society makes it obligatory on the president to deliver an annual address. I am persuaded that the framers of that instrument could not have foreseen the exigencies that would arise in the history of this society, or they would have made no such provision. Occupying, by singular mistake of the society, the position of president, I attempt to perform a duty which should have been given to abler hands. Friends of horticulture, we meet again, after the labor of another year, to exchange friendly greeting, and by bringing together our several experiences, to gather from them, if possible, something of truth, to guide us in the performance of the great work we have undertaken-that of supplying our State with a good variety of the leading fruits adapted to general cultivation. The past year may have been, to some, one of discouragement. Yet I trust it will prove in the end to have been one of progress. BH |