66 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the meeting of the Council on the 24th of March, 

 1829, a committee was appointed to cause a diploma to 

 be prepared for the Society ; but it was nearly two years 

 before it was ready for distribution. The design was a 

 landscape view, with growing flowers, and .gathered fruits 

 and vegetables, and horticultural implements, in the fore- 

 ground, and a mansion and trees in the background, and 

 it was lithographed in the best style of art then known. 

 The present elaborately engraved diploma was adopted 

 in 1841. The committee charged with procuring it 

 was also instructed to procure a seal, the Society having 

 previously had none, and the beautiful design now used 

 was adopted; but the legend was not added until 1847. 



The Society, immediately after its organization, faith- 

 fully devoted itself to its proposed objects as announced 

 in the constitution. Several other meetings of the 

 Council, and of the various committees, 1 were convened 

 at Mr. Cook's office, until a hall was secured for the use 

 of the Society. John B. Russell was appointed the gen- 

 eral agent of the Society, and as such superintended the 

 hall, and took charge of all books given as the nucleus 

 of a horticultural library, which soon began to flow in 

 in considerable numbers and of a valuable character. 

 Liberal premiums were offered for the finest specimens 

 of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. The hall was fur- 

 nished with the leading horticultural and agricultural 

 periodicals of the time, and was open at all hours of the 

 day, for the accommodation of the members. Seeds, 

 scions, trees, etc., were also deposited in the hall, for 

 distribution among the members. 



Weekly horticultural exhibitions were speedily insti- 

 tuted at the hall every Saturday, which were open to 



1 For the members and duties of these committees see Appendix B. 



