1898.] TRANSACTIONS. 7 



and bring to our Society many new members from the sur- 

 rounding^ towns. This question is one to which I invite your 

 careful consideration. 



While this has been a very poor year for the cultivation of 

 Sweet Peas — which after July were a failure, Asters and Dah- 

 lias — which were very late in blooming, it has been a specially 

 good year for Tuberous Begonias and for Wild Flowers. At one 

 show we had thirteen exhibitors of \N'ild Flowers, none showing 

 less than sixty varieties, while some placed upon exhibition from 

 ninety to one hundred. 



Of our winter meetings I would say they were very interest- 

 ing and largely attended ; those which were illustrated by the 

 stereopticon being attended by enough people to fill our main 

 hall. Inasmuch as the essays are in print, and so far as applied 

 for in your hands, there is no necessity for me to make a review 

 of them in this report. 



As last year, the Market Gardeners had the use of our library 

 for their meetings, at which valuable papers pertaining to their 

 business were read, and the Massachusetts Fruit Growers held 

 their annual convention in the hall. Both of these societies have 

 voted their thanks to this Society for its courtesies to them. 



I desire to place upon record an acknowledgment to those 

 who, during the past year, have materially added to the success 

 of our exhibitions by furnishing us with useful and decorative 

 materials without any apparent expectation of reward, only that 

 they recognize this as one of the institutions which deserve 

 whatever of success it has attained. 



At the time of our Chrysanthemum exhibition the Clark, 

 Sawyer Company furnished us with jardinieres, large vases, 

 silver, glass and china ware, and at all times have willingly loaned 

 from their stock anything of which we stood in need. The John 

 C. Maclnnes Company has furnished table linen and decorative 

 materials on several occasions, and has always seemed to take 

 an interest to assist us with whatever we needed in their line. 

 Messrs. O. S. Kendall & Son set up for us four mantels, simply 

 to add to the beauty of our exhibition and make more attractive 

 our distribution of flowers. 



