Suckers Early ..... Large ... Conical. Sweet Black V. good.. Table, kitchen and market.. Crimson... Good..... Table, market and kitchen.. Pistilate.. Medi 'm Large ... Round.. Acid........ Scarlet..... Good..... Market and family Stam 'na'e Medi 'm Large ... Conical Acid. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 1 1 12345 CO 6 12345 12 2 PREMIUM LIST. The following cash premiums will be awarded at the annual meeting of the Society, to be held in Danville, December 17, 18 and 19, 1878, under the general rules herewith appended: RULES-Competition free to members who may pay their fees prior to or at the time of making entries. Members' wives may compete without fee. All fruits must be carefully and correctly labeled, each collection or entry to be accompanied by a statement of facts connected with the culture, soil, time and manner of gathering, mode of keeping, whether in cellar or above ground apartment, if kept in bins, barrels or upon open shelves, age of trees, and such other information as may be of value to planters and fruit growers, that may suggest itself to the mind of the exhibitor, which, together with the report of the Awarding Committee, will be carefully preserved and published in the annual transactions of the Society, for the promotion of horticulture within our State. Four specimens of each variety will be required, and no collection can compete for more than one premium, except as part of the display or sweepstakes premium, in its respective class. Best 15 varieties of Apples..... Best 10 varieties of Apples. Best 5 varieties of Apples............ Best 1 variety of Apples............ Best plate of Clayton......... Best plate of Rome Beauty.... Best plate of Yellow Belleflower......... Best plate of White Pippin...... Best display of Apples.. Best display of Pears........... Best 5 varieties of Pears.......... Best 3 varieties of Pears.......................... Best 1 variety of Pears........................ Best display of fruits of all kinds....... Best Cally in bloom.......... Best display of plants........................... Best display of jellies and preserved fruits............ Second best display of jellies and preserved fruits............................... REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN. To the Indiana Horticultural Society: Although nominally performing the duties of Librarian for years, this may very properly be regarded as my first annual report. This is due to the fact that we haye, until recently, neither had a library nor a place to keep one. For the latter, we are even now wholly indebted to the State Board of Agriculture, through Secretary Heron and State Librarian Conner, while Mr. Heron has kindly contributed eighty-five (85) volumes to our collection of books. These are of a miscellaneous character, but altogether acceptable and appropriate. To the Department of Agriculture at Washington, through its chief clerk, E. A. Cannon, we are indebted for fourteen (14) volumes, mainly of agricultural reports of the government; to W. H. Ragan for six (6) volumes of horticultural publications, with full set of reports of the Society extending back to 1867; to Charles Downing for one copy of his revised edition of "Fruits and Fruit Trees of America ;" and to exchanges and kindred societies for reports, embracing transactions of most of the State Horticultural Societies, among which are especially prominent almost a complete set, from 1832 to date, of the Massachusetts State Society, and reports from Canada, Nova Scotia and other foreign countries. It is impossible at this time for me to furnish a complete catalogue of the library, but will add that our room is embellished, in addition to the library proper, by the framed medal and diplomas awarded to the Society by the Centennial Commission, a diploma of the State Board of Agriculture, awarded under special resolution of the Board, the report of the awarding committee on fruit at the Centennial, and the certificate of incorporation, under the hand and seal of J. E. Neff, Secretary of State of the State of Indiana, besides appropriate cases and furniture adapted to the use of such a room. The room is in the second story of the State Building, corner of Tennessee and Market streets, Indianapolis, admission through the rooms of the State Board of Agriculture, where horticulturists and others interested are respectfully invited to call, and where contributions to the library will be acceptable at any time. W. H. RAGAN, PROCEEDINGS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES, EMBRACING REPORTS FROM THE SOCIETY OF RICHMOND AND PLAINFIELD SOCIETY. RICHMOND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. From the monthly reports of the Richmond Horticultural Society I glean the following: The Society is in a flourishing condition, never having had a more prosperous year than the last. Meetings have been held at the Association Rooms in Richmond, at John Hatfield's, at Hawkins Springs, at the greenhouse of L. B. Case, and at the residence of Hon. William Baxter. A number of very valuable papers and essays have been read, reports made and discussions indulged in by the Society, which I deem eminently worthy of preservation in permanent form. I therefore furnish herewith such as appear to be of most value, when viewed from the standpoint of utility, in connection with the upbuilding of the horticultural interests of our State. ENTOMOLOGY. (Sec'y Ind. Hort. Society.) During the year Dr. R. S. Mitchell, from the Committee on Entomology, made reports as follows: MR. PRESIDENT: Your Executive Committee has again assigned to me, one of your special committee, a very pleasant and interesting subject, one that I love to investigate, and I thank them for the privilege. It is very pleasant to me to investigate my friends, so that I may know them sufficiently well to treat them as they deserve. I am also willing to investigate my enemies, so that I may know them and shun them, or be able to protect myself from their attacks. The subject that I am expected to investigate and bring before you in parcels at each regular meeting does not, just now, offer much capital to work upon; but entomology is not the dry, uninteresting subject many think it to be. If we do not see our insect friends and our insect enemies busily at work around us every day, we can think of them in their regular orders and families, quietly resting in their winter quarters. There are three periods in the life of an insect, marked by corresponding changes, in the form, powers and habits. In the first period in the life of an insect it is called a larva, a word signifying a mask, because the future form is masked or concealed. After casting off their |