FLOWER committee's REPORT. 5 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ELOWERS, 



For the Year 1859. 

 BY EDWAED S. BAND, JB., CHAIRMAN. 



The variable weather of the past summer has been most unfavorable to 

 flowers in the garden ; every month in the year has been marked by frost, 

 which, though doing but little injury beyond checking the growth of plants 

 on the high grounds, has been particularly disastrous to those gardens situ- 

 ated in low, cold and damp localities. It is not within the province of this 

 report to discuss any of the many theories which have been advanced to 

 account for the succession of cold summers which we have lately experi- 

 enced. But the effects of weather so unfavorable to floral development 

 could scarcely fail to be noticed in our weekly and monthly shows, which, 

 notwithstanding the persevering efforts of our amateurs and gardeners, 

 have during the past year been inferior to those of the two preceding sum- 

 mers. This falling oft' is by no means to be charged to any neglect of the 

 Society in either of its branches, its officers or its exhibitors ; never has 

 there been greater zeal in the cause of floriculture ; the premiums offered 

 have been larger than during any former season, and the duties of the 

 Flower Committee have been as faithfully and impartially performed as in 

 preceding years. 



To those exhibitors who, in spite of all discouragements, have persevered 

 and done so much for the success of our weekly shows, tha thanks of the 

 Society are due ; while from those who have become discouraged and 

 fallen away, we must hope for better things in coming years. 



In this connection it may not be out of place, before proceeding to a 

 review of the season and its exhibitions, to give in brief the plan of pro- 

 ceedings for the coming year, referring for details, however, to the forth- 

 coming schedule of prizes. 



It is proposed to leave the prizes for greenhouse plants, or for flowers 

 exhibited previous to the opening of the hall, as they now stand, with per- 

 haps a few unimportant changes. 



From the " Opening of the Hall," till after the Annual Exhibition, 

 there will be a weekly show of floAvers in the Society's hall, which will be 

 free to the public. 



During the past years it has been a general complaint, that gardeners 

 bringing their flowers received no compensation ; the flowers being exhib- 

 ited for the benefit of the Society, and being generally so faded at the close 

 of the exhibition as to be worthless. 



It might perhaps be shown that this view is narrow and one sided, but as 

 it is the wish of the Flower Committee to distribute the funds committed 

 to them to the best advantage, and so as to give the greatest satisfaction 

 consistently with merit, it is proposed to recommend to the Committee for 

 Establishing Premiums, a schedule, by which prizes will be awarded each 



