PRESIDENT PARKMAN'S VALEDICTORY. 435 



The valedictory address of President Parkman and 

 the inaugural of President Gray, at the meeting on the 

 5th of January, 1878, were of more than usual interest. 

 The former, looking back on the progress made by the 

 Society, as shown by the character of the exhibitions, 

 remarked that in many respects they had distinctly im- 

 proved, and that, in the ornamental departments, the 

 improvement was at some points very marked. Such 

 superb specimens of pot plants as were shown at the 

 last annual exhibition had never been seen before. 

 There had been great zeal, on the part of both ama- 

 teurs and professional cultivators, in the introduction of 

 new and rare varieties. Much, too, had been done in 

 the raising of seedlings. Nowhere had there been more 

 improvement than in the shows of roses, those of the last 

 season having far surpassed any in preceding years, both 

 in the perfection of single flowers, and in the specimens 

 grown in pots. The latter formed a feature of the 

 exhibitions which till recently could hardly be said to 

 exist. What were known as general displays had held 

 a less prominent place than formerly, and the commit- 

 tees had shown a just sense of the interests of high 

 culture by rewarding quality rather than quantity. 



The culture of fruits and vegetables, being better 

 developed than that of flowers, did not afford the same 

 scope for improvement. In some particulars the far- 

 thest progress seemed to be already reached. In pears, 

 for example, it was hardly reasonable to expect any 

 conspicuous improvement from year to year, while with 

 grapes the case was different. 



President Parkman pointed out the danger in the 

 exhibitions, as in all the proceedings of the Society, of 

 getting into ruts, and staying there. The purpose in 



