4 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1865. 



many contributors this year, the whole number of entries, is slightly increased 

 from that of last year. 



1864. 



1865. 



The financial condition of the Society remains much the same as one year 

 since. While our expenses, some of them have been of an extraordinary 

 character, the sources of our income have remained substantially the same. 

 The rental of the Hall has been slightly increased, while that of the stores un- 

 der it could not be, from the fact that they were occupied under leases for a 

 term of years. 



The present permanent debt of the Society, secured by a mortgage upon its 

 real estate, is seven thousand nine hundred dollars. The floating debt is large 

 enough, with our current expenses, to absorb, at least, all the remaining in- 

 come to accrue during the present year. 



The addition of members to the Society, during the present year, has been 

 unusually large, numbering nearly one hundred. This large increase only de- 

 monstrates what may be done by a little personal, active exertion. Many peo- 

 ple in the community only need an invitation, to induce them to join our ranks. 

 The Secretary and two or three other gentlemen constituted themselves a com- 

 mittee to extend such invitation, and their efforts in the work have been attended 

 with these gratifying results. Will not the experiment bear a repetition ? 



By far the largest item in the current expenditures of the present year, is the 

 one for printing. By a vote of the Corporation at its last annual meeting, in 

 January, the Committee of Publication were directed to collect, arrange, and 

 publish the transactions of the Society, from the year eighteen hundred and 

 fifty-seven to the year eighteen hundred and sixty-four, inclusive, together with 

 the by-laws, a list of the members, and any other matter which might be neces- 

 sary to complete the general history of the Society from the date of its last 

 publication, in eighteen hundred and fifty-six. The Committee gave this work 

 into the charge of the Secretary, who has executed the commission with his 

 usual fidelity and pains-taking, giving to the members of the Society a hand- 

 somely printed, and conveniently arranged volume of one hundred and thirty 

 pages, which I think will be found to be a valuable addition to our permanent 

 history as a Society, as well as a pleasant and profitable manual of refer- 

 ence for our members. The work of collecting and arranging the matter was 

 attended with no little difficulty : the custom of publishing our transactions 

 annually, had been so long neglected, that the reports of committees in later 



