10 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



I happened to be glancing over the report of the annual meeting 

 in 1866 and mention is there made of an award to Francis Dana 

 for the introduction of the Dana's Hovey, to my mind one of the 

 very nicest pears grown. How long is it, I wonder, since anyone of 

 our members has been awarded a prize for the introduction of 

 so good a pear as that ! 



The Exhibition of the Products of Children's Gardens was 

 wonderfully successful this year. It showed beyond doubt that 

 the children are interested in the growing of commercial crops, 

 perhaps especially stimulated this year by the war conditions. 

 We believe our annual show for children is specially desirable and 

 should be continued from year to year with such variation in 

 program as to broaden the field of activity. 



Now for the coming year. It is certainly for the best interests of 

 our Society to continue our efforts to increase the membership. 

 As a result of our efforts last year we secured 83 new members. 

 We have had a considerable number of deaths but our membership 

 roll has increased from 925 to 979 and a large proportion of the 

 new members were life members. 



From figures given me by our Secretary, it appears that our 

 membership in 1875 was 1035 and this I believe was the largest 

 membership of our Society. Now we have only to gain 56 more 

 members to pass that goal and I should like to accomplish that 

 result this year. It ought to be easy. Each member ought to be 

 able to propose at least one member. Why, think of it, the list 

 of Fellows in the Royal Society of London in 1914 was 14,400! 



The Catalogue of the Library, I am told, will contain not only 

 a correct list of our books but a subject index for flowers, vege- 

 tables, and fruits, giving a classified list of all that pertains to each 

 special subject. It is expected that this will be completed during 

 the year. 



The Lectures will be continued and the program already published 

 shows an interesting group of various subjects which will be dis- 

 cussed. These lectures are well attended and certainly must be 

 doing a considerable good in stimulating interest in horticulture. 



The fact that our country is now engaged in a serious war which 

 is affecting all industries to a greater or lesser extent has led your 

 Trustees and Committee on Prizes and Exhibitions to carefully 



