84 TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Your Committee were further instructed to inquire into the expediency 

 of having the medals on hand, and as to the propriety of bestowing them 

 at the time of the exhibition, both of which they recommend be left for the 

 future action of the Society. 



CHEEVER NEWHALL, Chairman. 

 Boston, September 13, 1845. 



SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION 



or THE 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of September 1845. 



The first Annual Exhibition of tlie Society in the new Hall, was of a 

 character, quite different from any of those which have preceded it. This 

 was owing to two causes : first, the increased amounts oiTered for floral 

 desig7is, and the second, to the tables of the hall, which admitted of a 

 greater display of large objects. The display of pot plants was not so 

 large as usual, but no effort was made to procure such, as the increasing 

 quantity of fruit required more space than heretofore. Their absence, 

 however, was more than made up, in the magnificence of the designs, 

 which were indeed the attracting feature of the exhibition. 



The entrance staircase was covered with a bower of evergreen ; opposite 

 this, at the semicircular end of the hall, stood the Floral Temple of Mr. 

 Haggerston, and the Chinese Temple of Messrs. Hovey & Co. ; in the 

 rear of these were arranged a quantity of evergreens and fine pot plants, 

 in front of which stood a table of fruit containing the splendid basket of 

 fruit from Mr. Haggerston. At the other end of the hall was placed the 

 Gothic pyramid, from Mr. Quant. On the sides of the room were the 

 smaller designs and large bouquets, and around the clock was displayed 

 the elegant wreathing from Mr. S. A. Walker ; the whole forming a tout 

 ensemble truly grand. The cut flowers consisted mostly of asters, the dry 

 summer having been very unfavorable to the growth of the dahlia, and 

 this superb autumnal flower, for the first time, was eclipsed by its rival, 

 the aster. 



Of the pot plants, there were some fine specimens, particularly of fuch- 

 sias, from the President of the Society, and Messrs. Hovey & Co. ; also, 

 large plants of Achimenes. from the same. Messrs. Hovey & Co. showed 



