192 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY. 



[June. 



Report of the Connecticut State 

 Board of Aqricuture,— from T. S. Gold, 

 Secretary. We acknowledge with thanks. 



Michigan Pomological Society, — from 

 J. W. Garfield, Secretary. — This beautiful and 

 very useful volume is rendered more attractive 

 by being embellished by a portrait of T. T. 

 Lyon, who, as our readers know, eminently 

 deserves any honor the Michiganese can bestow 

 on him. 



New York Horticultural Society. — It 

 is a pleasure to note the increasing strength and 

 activity of this young society. It promises, if 

 it continues in its present course, to become the 

 most popular society in the United States. 



It is particularly gratifying to note that it has 

 adopted one of the suggestions we have often 

 made as essential to the prosperity of a society 

 in these modern times, namely : advertising its 

 successful exhibitors. Every month with its 

 programme for the forthcoming meeting, it gives 

 in the circular the names and exhibits of the 

 successful competitors, and these meritorious con- 

 tributors therefore have their good works dis- 

 tributed far and wide. In old times when there 

 were no newspapers, and little use for printers' 

 ink, people were expected to go and see every 

 thing for themselves. Now people are satisfied 

 to read about them. Then people who exhibi- 

 ted were satisfied to know that people saw their 

 products, and such " advertising" was thought to 

 be a full equivalent for a good exhibit in many 

 cases, but now, in addition, an exhibitor wants 

 to see his name in print, and, as we have often 

 said, if the societies take care to do this for the 

 exhibitor, the exhibits would largely increase. 

 Hitherto horticultural societies have been satis- 

 fled to spend a large amount of money on 

 elaborate " schedules," and on begging letters, 

 and begging committees, urging plant growers 

 " by all they love," to " send something." 

 The exhibitors go at an enormous expense ; the 

 committees read their awards before half a 

 dozen members, and if some newspaper is gen- 

 erous enough to print the "report" without 

 cost to the society, it is all well, and if not the 

 exhibitor must be satisfied. Now, in a local 

 community, interested in their immediate 

 neighbors, the local newspaper may be tempted 

 to print these long reports ; but a cosmopolitan 

 paper cannot do this. For instance, does a 

 Calif ornian, or a Maine, or a Florida reader of 

 the Gardeners' Monthly need to know that 



John Rosebud, of Smithville, had the premi- 

 ums for six best cabbages? But the reports 

 could be made of interest to everybody every- 

 where. For instance in the excellent plan of ad- 

 vertising the successful exhibitors which has been 

 adopted by this society, what is to prevent the 

 description of the exhibits? For instance, 

 when we read in the report of the New York 

 Horticultural Society, that " in the collection of 

 Mrs. Morgan, the Cypripedium caudatura was 

 especially fine," why not tell us how many 

 flowers it had, and how large it was across? 

 It is something to know that Cypripedium cau- 

 datum can be grown so as to be admired, but it 

 would much better to have particulars. Dis- 

 tant people would then be interested in reading 

 the reports as well as those who know the ex- 

 hibitor, and the " advertising " be immeasura- 

 bly advanced. 



The other matter we have so often urged, 

 namely, discriminative premiums instead of 

 competetive ones, would make all this unnec- 

 essary. Mrs. Morgan would have had a pre- 

 mium for Cypripedium caudatum " because it 

 had tvventy-four flowers on, and the plant meas- 

 ured two feet across," and not simply as now 

 announced by the committee it was "all very 

 fine," which means anything the reader may 

 choose to imagine. 



We are tired of recommending these " steps 

 with the times," to those fossilized institutions 

 all over the country, manj' of whose active 

 leaders do not even subscribe to a horticultural 

 magazine to get the latest ideas about the 

 wants of the community, but go staggering on 

 under loads of discouragement, wondering 

 "why the thing has run down so;" but seeing 

 the wisdom which seems to run in with the 

 management of this young New York Society, 

 we are moved to revert to the subject once 

 more. 



Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 

 — The second of the revived monthly meetings 

 of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society was 

 held on April I9th, and with much success. 

 Azaleas were the chief attractions. Dreer's 

 New Coleus ; decorative plants from John Dick ; 

 hardy herbaceous plants from John Bell ; floral 

 designs from Eisele Bros., and Kift & Sons, and 

 new geraniums from R. Buist, made up the 

 bulk of the exhibits. A. & J. McGuigan sent 

 fine specimens of various imported tropical 

 fruits. 



