The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-15
PARADISE IN PLA1NFlELD.

INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.
ANNUAL MEETING-A THREE DAYS session.
ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS, ESSAYS, N LIv-
ING OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES To THE RE-
FORM SCHOOL,
As will be remembered, the annualm meet
ing of the Indiana horticultural Society
was removed from the capital to the thrifty
and attract We suburb OF Plainield, IA miles
west of the city. The wisdom of this action
was proved By the result, the interest OF
the meeting exceeding that of the last meet
ing at Indianapolis in several respects.
There is a sort of harmony in the discus
sion of fruits, bowers and vegetables amid
the surroundings of a pleasant rural gar
den spot like Piainield. Again, a meeting OF
this character which attracts but little notice
amid the turmoil of the city, in a country.
town Is an event exciting the interest ana
contributing largely to the pleasure OF the
whole community. This fact was well illus
trated by the meeting of this week. The
LITTLE TOWN HALL
showed by its elaborate decorations the
refined tastes and skillful hands OF the
Plainfeld ladies. Festoons of evergreens,
pictures of fruits and flowers on the walls,
cages of singing birds, potted plants, hang
ing baskets of plants. and the tables loaded
down with apples and pears, made the place
like the Garden of Eden, or a very near
relative to it. The attendance yesterday was
very good. First of all, the ladies were
present and did not seem 10 feel so lonesome
and scared a. the few did lsst year, who ven
tured into the old rat trap State House.
| Among the gentlemen present were the
wheel horses of horticulture in this state,
many of them being well known, such as
DIR. Furnas, the Ragans, Mendenbsll, Rat
lift, and Mej. n. s.. Fagsn, of Missouri;
Pre- e%ns A UD, G: shortT bdgss b of
appreciation of the business in hand
by reporting present on yesterday. The
exercises, a. a whole were not only enter
tanning to all such Is delight in the work
and products of horticulture, but were also
instructive and profitable.
FIRST DAYS SESSION.
Iheeociety convened on Tuesday, and ar
the outset the hall was we'll flied, and the
morning was devoted to an informal discus
sion OF the organization. In the afternoon
MIR. Joseph c.. Ratliff, the retiring president,
read his annual address, and the reports of
the secretary and treasurer were presented
and adopted. Following these, adopting the
principle of business before pleasure, the So
ciety proceeded to the election of officers
for the ensuing year with the following re-
suit: President, Joseph Gilbert, of Terre
Reute; secretary, w. II. Ragan, (re-elected,
Clayton; treasurer, (re-elected,) Charles
Lowder, Plainleld ; vice presidents, l.. j.
Templin, Union City; s. Barrett, Vincennes;
A.. b. Pegg, Terre Haute; j. A. Mendenhall.
Richmond; executive committees, J.C Rat
Tiff, Richmond; DIR. a. Furnas, Danville; S.
Il johnson, IrvingtOn. After some miscel-
leneous discussion an adjournment was bad
to the night session at which the topic for
j discussion was the Apple" the leading
iruit of this country and tile best every day
end Sunday trait, for the year around all
things considered, in the world.
SECOND DAYS SESSION.
The society and numerous visitors were
\ promptly onband Wednesday morning and
Il got to work on time. President Gilbert
lEcalled to order at 8 o'clock, and a brief con.
sideration was given to the time of the an.
nual meeting in relation to the societies Of
4 other states. Secretary w. III. Raglan stated
that he was happy to announce the arrival
of President h0rtridge, of the Purdue Uni
VerSity, which he considered an honor &c
, ! the society, who would be heard from, as be
hoped, during the day. He moved that
FPrssident ShoTtridge be made al honorary
Fmember OF the society, which motion was
unanimously adopted. Mai u. S.. Rsgan,
of Missouri, presented and read a paper ON
marketing Fruit" which was followed by $
; ! discussion of the kindredtO pic, the'MethOds
of PreservingFruit." Byrequest, Mr., Keller
} ofthe Alden Fruit Preserving Compsny,p pre-
scented a very clear and interesting state.
G2ent OF their process OF drying fruit. He
answered numerous questions in relation tC
the fruit and the process, and a general dis
eEsslon followed on the various
OF KERraNG FRUIT,
both dry and green. In the afternoon a pa
: per was read from Prot. T. f. BurrilI, of til,
Illinois Industrial University, in regard to
the horticultural operations of that institu
ticR. AN outline of the history of the insti
ta.ion and its operations was given in thi
essay, which was suggestive in many partic
1 ulars. At the close of thesFeadiDg Presiden
5 fSh0rtridge spoke in regard to the beginning
made at the Purdue University. TIL
. speaker disclaiMed the character of an eX
3 pert in agriculture or horticulture, but 8
s he he'd been chosen to the position, b
: hoped to be able TO organize a school Their
3 which should prove acceptable to the peopl
of Indiana. lie gave an outline of the or
q gin, condition, progress and plans of tn
|. Purdue University. Mr.. JIG. K~ingsbury q
B theInaiana Farmer, read a paper on .'Hor
O. ticultural Names" showing what may b
learned from the names of plants, fruits
/. flowers etc.
iNDIA1IA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
IN FoUETEENTH ANNUAL SESSION THE Asso
= CITATION DISCUSSES FINE FRUITS AMI MIS-
sCELLAREoUS BUSINESS, N ADJOURNS II
II MEET AT TERRE HAUTE on THE THIRl
TUESDAY IN 1875.
The third days session of the fourteenth
sDnu i meeting OF the Indiana Horlicul
turSl Society, at PlsiR field, attracted an un
t usually large a~ttendsace Thurday. In ad
ditien to an increased attendance OF mem
6ers, thereNvere present quite a large mum
Der OF ladies and gentlemen and babies.
> PresidentGilber in the chair, csked th,
meeting to order and the business of tn,
session was begun By DR.. Kurnas, whC
read q report on the condition ofthe frui
: in the seventh district, which he said showed