Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-12
ITS ANNUAL MEETING
SESSION OF THE NATIONAL GEO
GRAPHIC SOCIETY.
Agriculture in Guatemala
Discussed by DR.. o. F. Cook Of
Department Of Agriculture.

1t was announced at the annual meeting
Of the National Geographic Society, at !: ub-
bard Memorial Hall last evening, that the
membership Of the society has increased
to such an extent that the ACCESSIBILITY OF
constructing a large audience hall will be
considered during the present year. Mr..
Willis L. Moore, president Of the society,
stated that the organization has become SO
popular and its revenues have increased to
such an extent that the time has come for
it to seriously consider the subject.
I'VE have nearly 10000 members now"
President Moore said, land a good sized
surplus in our treasury. which at the pres
ent prosperous rate will be more than dou-
bled by this time next year. Our present
hall Is too small for the public lectures,
having seating capacity of only 2oO. We
have extended our lectures and they have
grown more popular than we calculated.
Our magazine has proven highly interest
ing, and it has circulation Of more than
10000 and is paying well. Within a few
months we propose to insert number OF
advertisements In the magazine, which Will
add greatly to the revenues. Our board of
managers will within the next half year
give consideration to the plan of building a
new home for us, and at the expiration OF
that time 1 will have something more def
mite to say on the subject
Annual Report Of Secretary.
The annual report of Secretary o. P.
Austin showed that the total membership
December 81, 1906, was 1927, an increase
of 1853 over the previous year. One hum
dred and twenty-five are life members,
10000 residents of the District, 800 resi-
dents of Mexico, 200 residents of the Phil
Of
than 600 residents of forty-seven other for
eign countries and provinces. During the
last year 225 members of the society died.
The report Of John Joy Edison, the treas
urer showed that although $4,000 was ex-
pended for various purposes there was a
balance at the end Of the year of $500, of
which $500 has since been added to the,
research fund.
The annual election of ten members of
the board of managers whose terms of
office are about to expire followed. Presf-
dent Moore called for nominations, but on
motion Of DR.. T. j. Day, who made short
address complimenting the managers for
their successful management of the So
ciety, the same managers, with the ex-
ception Of Prof. r. D. Salisbury, who de-
clined reelection, were chosen for another
term Of two years, and, upon the motion
Of L. K. Brown. the election was made
unanimous The managers chosen are Mr..
Henry F. Blount. Admiral Corby NJ. Chester,
IAr. F. V. Coville, DR.. D. c. Gilman. Mr..
Rudolph Kaufman, Prof Willis L. Moore
and Mr.. S. N. D. North reelected, and Mr..
Charles DENLY of the State Department.
elected to take the place of the non-resi-
dent member of the board who had been
unable to attend the meetings of the So
ciety. The members Of the board of man
ayers in addition to those elected above
are: Mr.. Alexander Graham Bell Prof. J.
Howard Gore, Gen. A. w. Greedy, Angelo
Heilprin, o. H. Tittmann, Gen. John NJ
George Davidson, David Fairchild, Prof. A.
]. Henry and DR.. c. Hart Merriam.
At the meeting of the board of managers
which was held after the annual meeting
the following officers were unanimously re-
elected: Willis L. Moore, president; Henry
Gannett, vice president; John Joy Edison,
treasurer: o. P. Austin, secretary; Gilbert
H. Grosvenor, editor; Eliza r. Scidmore,
sistant treasurer, and John Oliver LaGorce
assistant secretary.
Agriculture in Guatemala.
The annual meeting was concluded with
an interesting address on aboriginal Ag
ricuNure in Guatemala" by DR.. o. F. Cook
of the Department of Agriculture. Dr.
Cook has recently returned from Guate-
mala, where he spent several months in
investigating and examining the agricultu-
raj pursuits in that country, with a special
corn.
You would be surprised to know" said
Dr. Cook that although the boil weevil
exists to a considerable extent in that
country, it in no way affects the growth of
cotton One of the chief aims of my visit
was to learn how the cotton resisted the
insect which has proven SO destructive In
our country. In the first place, there Is a
small bug which inhabits the cotton in
Guatemala which acts as a protector from
the boil weevil. and the fiber Of the cotton
is so close and fine that 1t is hard for the
weevil to find an entrance place. We have
planted some of this Guatemala cotton in
Texas where the weevil is highly preya-
lent, and although the experiment has not
vet proven successful, we believe after two
or three generations of the plant has been
grown here we will find that cotton can
be grown in Texas which will resist the
pest.
Can Give Americans Pointers.
$50 you can see,'' the lecturer continued
that even though agriculture in Guatemala
is carried on in an aboriginal and primitive
way they can give us some pointers. In
planting corn the Indians of that country
are particularly primitive, in that they
never use plows, but simply make small
mounds and put hole in it, generally with
their fist or feet, in which they plant the
corn seed They grow corn just as easily
on the sides of the steepest mountains as
they do on level and low lands.
DIR. Cook used a number of stereopticon
views to illustrate his subject.
The next meeting of the society is to be
held at the National Rifles Armory next
Friday, when Mr.. Howard Du Bots will lee
ture on Camping Expeditions in the Cana
dian Rockies" feature will be colored
lantern photographs and motion pictures,
such as buffaloes on the plains, horses
swimming, swiftly flowing rivers, rafting,
salmon fishing and logging and forest
scenes.