REPORT 



OF THE 



COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION AND DISCUSSION. 



The series of meetings for discussion held during the past year 

 has confirmed the belief that the establishment of these meetings 

 was the most important step in advance taken by the Society for 

 man}' years, while the publication of the discussions has done 

 more to extend the reputation of the Society, both in this country 

 and abroad, than any other action since its formation. 



The offering of prizes for essays must still be looked upon as 

 an experiment, but the Committee deem it so far successful that 

 they would ask for a renewal of the appropriation for the ensuing 

 year, so that, if thought advisable to offer further prizes for 

 essays, it may be done in season to afford more time for their 

 preparation than was given last year. 



It is gratifying to know that our schedule, though issued later 

 than we could have wished, attracted attention and called forth 

 contributions from all parts of our country, and even from across 

 the Atlantic. In this connection it may be of interest to recall 

 the offer, in the first schedule of prizes, published by the S.ociety 

 in 1829, of premiums for manuscript treatises — first, on the Culti- 

 vation and Management of Fruit Trees ; second, on the Insects that 

 attack Fruit Trees, and the best methods of destroying them ; and 

 third, on the Diseases of Fruit Trees, with the best method of pre- 

 venting them. No prizes, however, were awarded, and it does not 

 appear that any manuscripts on these subjects were offered. It is 

 believed that the prize for the paper on the Cultivation of the 

 Cabbage and Cauliflower is the first ever awarded by the Society 

 for an essay. Indeed, our Transactions for nearly half a century 

 are singularly wanting in original papers devoted to horticultural 

 science, if we except the annual reports of our Standing Com- 

 mittees, which are from necessity limited to a narrow channel. 

 The experience of the past season would indicate that a quick 



