AN AWARD OF HONOR 
TO WALTER VAN FLEET 
For His Contributions to the Advancement of Horticulture, Especially Roses, 
He Is Given the George Robert White Medal of Honor 
HE presentation of certificates, 
diplomas and medals by societies 
as well as by national and inter- 
national expositions has been a 
recognized practice for many genera- 
tions. Usually such trophies are given 
in lieu of a money premium in recog- 
nition of the excellence or the magni- 
tude of an exhibit, 
As early as 1871 the American 
Pomological Society decided to secure 
a die for a medal to be awarded as its 
premium in lieu of cash, and_ this 
medal has since been awarded to indi- 
viduals, firms and societies for speci- 
mens or collections of fruit exhibited. 
Such awards tend to stimulate compe- 
tition among growers for the coveted 
prize, the excellence of the exhibit be- 
ing gauged by the character of the 
metal used (silver or bronze) in strix- 
ing the medal. 
>It remained for Mr. Georee Robert 
White of Boston to make it possible 
for the Massachusetts 
Horticultural 
THE GEORGE ROBERT WHITE MEDAL OF HONOR 
Society, through his gift to it in 1909 
of $7,500, to award to the man or 
woman, commercial firm or inst:tution 
in the United States or in some other 
country, doing the most im recent years 
to advance the interests of horticulture 
in its broadest sense, the medal known 
as the “George Robert White Medal 
of Honor.” Every year since its foun- 
dation it has been given to workers in 
the field of horticulture, not because 
they exhibited a plate of frnit cr as- 
sembled a large and noteworthy collec- 
tion of varieties, but rather for the 
contribution which they as individuals 
have made to the horticultural world. 
So far, two well-defined motives 
have apparently dominated the ideas 
of the judges charged with awarding 
the George Robert. White Meal of 
Honor. One evident motive is to en- 
courage and adequately honor produc- 
tive horticultural exploration; the 
other is to encourage the production 
of new plant forms, particularly orna- 
a5 MA SAC HUSE 
SE 
WALTER VAN 
~ FLEET-MCMAY 
\ SFQke LMUINENT 
- SERVIC i 
“=. HORT NCOLTUR 
(FIG. 23) 
o 
