6 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The origin of tlie fire was in an act of stupid carelessness on 

 the part of a person not connected with the Society, and we have 

 every reason to congratulate ourselves upon the escape of the 

 ' building and its contents from entire destruction. The fire 

 department of the city of Boston acted promptly, wisely, and 

 energetically, and we owe it a debt of gratitude for duty well done, 

 for which, in your name, I offer to the proper authorities our 

 hearty acknowledgements. 



Losses by fire ar°i covered, so far as they can be, by ample 

 insurance ; but we hare been deprived of possessions which 

 money alone cannot replace. The cherished portraits of men 

 eminent in the history of this association, which were the adorn- 

 ments of our halls, are, with few exceptions, ruined. The Society 

 will so be compelled to forego for a number of weeks the custom- 

 -^ ary usos of the halls and of the revenue derived from them. 



Mr. George W. Fowle, who has held the office of treasurer since 

 June, 1881, retired from that office on the first day of the present 

 year, and has been succeeded by Mr. W. "Wyllys Gannett. Mr. 

 Fowle has had the good fortune to see, during his term of service, 

 the immediate debt of the Society, amounting to more than sevent}' 

 thousand dollars, reduced to less than twenty thousand. He 

 deserves much credit for his share in this work. He has given to 

 us an honest, patient, and devoted service, and we wish him a 

 long enjoyment of his well earned leisure. 



The question of a final arrangement of this building, so that it 

 may yield an income sufficient for the purposes of this organiza- 

 tion, on the one hand, and on the other give space for our exhibi- 

 tions and room for the decent accommodation of our library, has 

 not yet been answered. 



The subject has been carefully considered by a committee to 

 which it was formally referred by the Society, and it is hoped 

 that a report mav soon be made which will contain some definite 

 recommendations upon this subject. 



The exhibitions of the past year do not appear, as a whole, to 

 have quite reached our usual standard of excellence. The falling 

 off was more noticeable in the exhibitions of plants and flowers, 

 and though the unfavorable season ma}' explain to a certain 

 extent the deficiency, it was evident that a number of the largest 

 exhibitors of preceding years were not represented. While we hope 

 that our oldest exhibitors have not permanently withdrawn from 



