5 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



standard of the past eighty-eight years, but in several respects 

 has shown marked progress. 



There have been ten indoor shows during the year. These all 

 will be spoken of in the reports of your Committees. 



I want to speak briefly of the Spring Show, the June Outdoor 

 Show, the Special Fruit Show, and of the Children's Garden Show. 



We started in early last year to make the March Show especially 

 attractive and we employed for the first time Mr. Chester I. 

 Campbell, the well-known publicity agent, to assist in giving 

 publicity to the Show. The exhibit itself was certainly most 

 attractive. We shall carry in our minds for years the impression 

 made by the lovely exhibits of Acacias and Orchids and flowering 

 bulbs and grouped plants. The exhibits were effectively arranged 

 both as to color and varieties and many who have attended our 

 shows for years were enthusiastic in their praise of this Show. It 

 was a Show that stimulated a real interest in a very large number of 

 people. The paid entrances amounted to $7,383.25, a considerably 

 larger amount than was ever received at any one show given by 

 the Society. Our expenses were large but we made a considerable 

 sum, and the thing not to be overlooked is the fact that we reached 

 a very large number of people. I think it may well be referred 

 to as the biggest and the best show we ever had indoors. 



The June Show was featured along quite different lines; our 

 Society in its early history had given shows on the Public Garden 

 and Boston Common, the last in 1873. We wished to exhibit some 

 of our beautiful indoor and outdoor plants and shrubs under more 

 favorable conditions than is possible in the Hall and for this reason 

 secured the spacious grounds of the Arioch Wentworth Institute. 

 It is not necessary to mention the great amount of work which 

 was done in adapting these grounds to the rock garden and pond 

 and the outside planting for it is fresh in the minds of all of us. 



The seven large tents with their various special exhibits was the 

 most ambitious venture ever undertaken by our Society in the 

 way of an outdoor show. 



The exhibits were certainly most excellent. The Orchid Show 

 was worth traveling miles to see, and the same was true of the 

 Azaleas, the Wisterias, and the Roses. For some reason which 

 I cannot explain we had most uncommonly bad luck on weather. 



