The President: We will now turn the meeting over to the Garden Flower Society and request the president, Mrs. Ruff, to take the chair. (In the absence of Mrs. Ruff, Mrs. E. W. Gould presided.)
Mrs. Gould: Our first number will be a paper on the Minnesota State Flower, by Mr. E. A. Smith, of Lake City. (Applause.)
Mr. Smith: I wish to add one word to the name of my paper and that is "Flag," so that it will read "Minnesota State Flower and State Flag." I have the two subjects so closely associated that I can not separate them. (See index.)
Discussion.
Mr. Smith: I now come to the point in my paper. I move you, Madam President, that the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and its auxiliary societies through its secretary present the following resolution to the next legislature of the state for adoption at that time: Resolved, that, whereas the State of Minnesota has adopted a state flower which, on account of its being a native of the woods and bogs, is not generally known or recognized and, whereas, the State of Minnesota in 1893 adopted by legislative vote a state flag, which emblem is not generally known to the residents of the state, and believing that familiarity with the state flower and the state flag will do good and create loyalty to the state and Union, be it resolved, that we, the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and auxiliary societies, do hereby petition and pray the state legislature of Minnesota to have printed an attractive picture of the state flower and the state flag, properly framed, and present a copy of it to each public school of the state with the request that it be placed upon the walls of the school room, also that it be furnished free of cost to such other public buildings as may be deemed advisable.
I trust, Madam President, that this resolution will not only be seconded but it will meet with the unanimous approval of the society.
Mr. Hawkins: I second the motion.
Mrs. Gould: I do not know that we could vote with the Horticultural Society. This is not a meeting of that society but simply a meeting of the Flower Society. Will some one enlighten me?
Miss White: Madam President, if we could not vote as a society, could we not vote to recommend this resolution to the Horticultural Society?
A Member: Yes, or to the two societies to be taken up at their business meeting, perhaps.