26 WOBCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1885. 



ambition to rouse up the farmers to a higher and better cultivation of 

 the luxurious and ornamental. 



Theirs is the farmer's institution, designed specially for this useful 

 and honored class. Let them bring in their Apples and Vegetables, 

 and if they have any of the finer Fruits and Flowers, worthy of a 

 premium, as some of them undoubtedly have, let them exhibit them 

 also and take the awards of their own Society. They fairly and 

 honestly belong to them ; and their success need be no disparagement 

 to the progress of our own Society. 



We have accomplished much in our line, and without vanity or 

 boasting, may congratulate ourselves and the community on what we 

 have already achieved. But our work is not yet done. There is a 

 vast field for improvement yet open before us ; let us not cease from 

 our labors till we have attained higher and more fruitful results. 



The continued prosperity and usefulness of our Society must 

 depend, of course, upon the exertions and fidelity of its own members. 

 The honor of taking the premiums of our Society should be esteemed 

 vastly higher than that of taking them from the institution of our 

 neighbors, whose eflTorts are directed almost exclusively to the coarser 

 productions of the farm, and only secondarily to the finer products of 

 the garden. Common courtesy, ever,' as well as profession and 

 prestige, would seem to forbid the professed horticulturist from enter- 

 ing the lists with the farmers, to take from them, as he certainly 

 would, the inducements oflfered by their Society for improving their 

 orchards and their gardens. 



From the above and various other considerations, your Committee 

 are unanimously and decidedly of the opinion that it would not pro- 

 mote the interest or the welfare of our Society to unite our exhibi- 

 tions with the Agricultural Society at their Hall. We believe it would 

 be repugnant to the feelings and tastes of most of those who have 

 contributed most constantly and freely to our shows, and of those, 

 also, who have graced them by their presence dui-iug our seasons of 

 exhibition, to abandon our own beautiful, and commodious, and easily 

 accessible Halls, and transfer our shows to a place wanting in all those 

 facilities and attractions with which we are now so highly favored. It 

 would deprive us of all those social and happy reunions which have 

 been so highly prized, and have never failed to add pleasure to 

 instruction. 



We appeal, therefore, to the members of this Society to maintain 

 the high character it has attained, and trust that no inducement, cer- 

 tainly not the offer of a few more pieces of silver, will cause them to 

 withhold their best contributions from our tables at our Autumnal 

 Exhibitions. The Committee propose to the Trustees the adoption of 

 the following resolution : 



Besolved, That the Worcester County Horticultural Society continue to 

 hold their Annual Exhibitions, as heretofore, at their own Halls. 



WILLIAM WORKMAN, Chairman. 



Worcester, March G, 1861." 



Note : The question arising upon the acceptance of this Report, a discus- 

 sion ensued as to the general policy of the Society, in which Messrs. D. 



