134 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Miss Sabra Carter thought that in Wilmington, where she 

 resides, and the adjoining town of Woburn, most farmers' wives 

 cultivate flowers to a greater or less extent. 



Mrs. E. M. Gill said that she had attended cattle shows for 

 man}' years, and since she began farmers' wives had become much 

 more interested in the cultivation of flowers. She thought some 

 of the preceding speakers had been rather unjust to the farmers. 



Leverett M. Chase said that he had been thirt}' j'ears a teacher 

 in the public schools and he could testify to the assistance of 

 flowers in enforcing discipline and elevating the taste of the 

 scholars. He spoke of one instance in which a rude boy had 

 been changed by having a single plant given him, and said that 

 he knew thousands of cases in which discipline had been made 

 easier by the influence of flowers. 



M. B. Faxon said that the Committee on Window Gardening 

 were pushing that branch of the Society's work as vigorously as 

 possible. They had received a letter of encouragement from the 

 Rev. Phillips Brooks, D.D. They hoped to have the public 

 schools represented in the exhibitions and to improve over those 

 of previous years. 



Mrs. Wolcott asked wh}' florists did not put a stop to such an 

 atrocious use of flowers as is sometimes made, as in a locomotive 

 constructed of flowers, which was certainly a wonderful piece of 

 work. She wanted to know whether florists could not do some- 

 thing to promote a better taste by refusing to make such things. 

 If any of those present should visit Forest Hills or other ceme- 

 teries on Decoration Day they would come away almost sick, and 

 feel as if they never wanted to go again, such are the monstrosities 

 displayed there. The managers of cemeteries might do something 

 to create a purer taste, and the first step would be to discontinue 

 the carpet bedding. Devoting flowers to such purposes as she and 

 others had condemned is an abuse of them. 



On motion of Mr. Hitchings, seconded by Mr. Had wen, a vote 

 of thanks to Mrs. Dean for her interesting essay was unanimously 

 passed. 



The announcement for the next Saturday- was a paper on 

 " Hybrid Roses, Old and New," by William H. Spooner. 



