Report of Committee on Horticultural Building.
S. P. CROSBY, CHAIRMAN, ST. PAUL.
As you know, at the last legislature there was a bill prepared and introduced asking for an appropriation of $40,000 to build a new home for this society. It was provided, that that home should be located on the grounds of University Farm or upon the grounds of the State Agricultural Society, and that was to be left to the discretion of the executive board of this society. The bill is a very well drawn bill, and the committee appeared before the legislature some four or five times. We went before the committee of the senate and before the committee of the house and senate, and as a matter of fact the result was that the bill never came out of the committee.
The cry last year, as it is every year, was that of retrenchment and low taxes. Now, that is all right as a general proposition, but Minnesota is not a poor state. In the cities of course we think we have all the taxes we ought to have, and we think they are pretty high; perhaps you gentlemen living in the country think you have as high taxes as you ought to have, but that the state, for instance, has over $30,000,000 in the school fund, probably reaching up to fifty or sixty millions some day, with other figures which can be given here, shows that Minnesota is not a poor state. On the other hand, it shows that Minnesota is a rich state. Certainly there is no good reason why it should not provide a good home for this society, which has earned it and is nearly fifty years old.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I simply want to say one thing. Don't depend upon the committee to do all this work. While we didn't get our bill through last year we came away full of courage, and just as sure as night follows the day we are going to have a new home for this society one of these days. (Applause.) But I want it distinctly understood that every member of this society, men and women—and I certainly include the women because oftentimes they are the best politicians, and they know how to talk to people and get things—when the next legislature is elected must use his or her influence with the senators and representatives of the various districts of the state and make an impression upon them and get a promise out of them to vote for and support the bill. A bill will be introduced into the next legislature, and it will probably be this same bill, and if you don't forget this, but simply do your duty in seeing these representatives and taking the matter up, why there isn't very much doubt in my judgment but what we will be successful and have our bill passed.
We have members, I think, in every county of the state, haven't we, President Cashman?
The President: Yes.
Mr. S. P. Crosby, St. Paul.
Mr. Crosby: If we only have two or three in some counties, if they would make an effort to see every representative and senator and talk the matter over, that is what is going to count. It is a year or something like that before the legislature meets again, but it don't want to be forgotten, and if every live member of this society will put his shoulder to the wheel, I don't think there is any possible doubt but what we will succeed and have the bill pass.
We broke the ice last winter and got acquainted with some of the people. And another thing I want to say, and that is if that bill the next time is not reported favorably out of the committee I would be in favor for one of having it reported to the house or senate without any recommendation of the committee. I talked with probably fifteen or twenty, I should say, of the different members of the senate and house about that bill, and it had a great many friends both in the house and senate. Some of them came to me and said: "Crosby, why don't you put it in the house, and we will show you how we will vote." There was a whole lot of feeling that way, because if men investigate and find out what the society is standing for and what it has done they will know it is a perfectly meritorious bill. I think with a reasonable amount of work we will accomplish a great deal, and we shall succeed eventually in having the bill passed.
Another matter that is proper to speak of now is to see where the members of this organization stand. I am going to tell you something. I didn't hear it personally myself, but I did hear it from Mr. Yanish. He is a man of veracity and he told me. He said in the last legislature the Hennepin delegation used all the strength they could against this bill. If it is a rivalry between the two cities, St. Paul and Minneapolis when we propose to put the building in neither Minneapolis or St. Paul, but practically midway between the two cities, if that rivalry can go to that extent, it seems to me mighty small business.
We were very careful not to conflict in any way with the state university in getting any of those appropriations they were asking for. They wanted big sums of money. We didn't conflict with them, we didn't do anything against them. We made a gentlemanly campaign and put our case before the committee. There were a number of members who were favorable, but of course there were thousands of bills in there, and it didn't get out of the committees, as I said.
We see more and more every year what great necessities there are for a home for this organization. We ought to have a building like as the plans given in Mr. Latham's last report, a building that would have a fine auditorium, a fine exhibit room, a place where we are at home instead of going from place to place and meeting at different places and not having the adequate facilities we ought to have.
Store Vegetables for the Winter.—The basement is often the best place on the farm for storing vegetables, says R. S. Gardner, of the University of Missouri, College of Agriculture. It must be properly built, and the temperature, moisture, and ventilation conditions kept right if the best results are to be obtained. If it is too warm the vegetables will dry and shrivel, and if the ventilation is poor, drops of water will form and the vegetables will be more likely to decay. If there is a furnace in the cellar, the storage room should be far enough away so that it can be kept cool, and during very cold weather the door may be opened to prevent freezing.—Mo. Exp. Sta.