32 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Committee would earnestly call the attention of contributors to the 

 Rules and Regulations for their guidance and that of the Committee, as laid 

 down in our Schedule of Prizes. If they are not sufficiently explicit, then let ua 

 ask the proper authorities to make them so; but it is believed that they convey 

 all the instruction necessary to enable contributors to so order their exhibitions 

 as to insure the fair judgment of the Committee upon the merits of the Plants 

 and Flowers offered in competition. The occasional recurrence of careless- 

 ness or inattention on the part of, those offering flowers for premiums, 

 during the past season, impels the Committee to this appeal. It would hardly 

 eeem necessary to particularize, yet we mention a few of the difficulties which 

 have laid in the way of a fair and satisfactory award, according to merit. 



First, too many or too few flowers in the stand where a specified number is 

 named. This is undoubtedly the result, in many cases, of haste incident to 

 laieness on the ground, and this brings us to another, which is more in 

 character, a trespass upon the time and patience of the Committee, viz., 

 Flowers are not always " in their stands at 11 o'clock." Again, where two or 

 more classes are shown, the same varieties are occasionally found in more than 

 one class by the same contributor. And still another, where single flowers are 

 intended, as in the Rose, Paeony, &c., while buds may accompany the flower, 

 side blooms are inadmissible. In some cases, a partially developed flower and 

 one nearly passed, on the same stem, have led the Committee to doubt which 

 of the two was the one offered. These and a few other things which will 

 readily suggest themselves to the minds of those interested, if carefully 

 observed and acted upon, will materially aid the Committee in the discharge 

 of the duties devolving upon them. We allude to this matter in no spirit of 

 complaint or fault-finding — far from it. On the contrary, we would cheerfully 

 bear testimony to the hearty good will and generous cooperation of the 

 contributors, and their ready acquiescence in our decisions, but at the same 

 time we would, as much as possible, be spared the necessity of deciding the 

 hgalily of competition, and left to pronounce upon the merits of the 

 contributions. 



If the judgment of the Committee is worth anything, it is certainly worth 

 the ability to show it by the " card," which we can not da when the best 

 flowers are ruled out for some informality. 



Some embarrassment was experienced by this Committee at our last Annual 

 Exhibition, relative to the scope of its power in awarding premiums. While 

 contributions of Plants and Flowers, alone, constitute the objects of com- 

 petition, the duties of the Committee are clearly defined ; but we may well 

 question the extent to which our Society is willing from its funds to encourage 

 display, or emulation in all the varied, fanciful devices, which, though they may 

 please the curious eye, and assist somewhat in attracting public attention, have 

 yet no affinity to Horticulture. Embroidery, pictures, penmanship, all com- 

 mendable as specimens of art, or talent, are still foreign to the purposes of 

 our Society ; and although this Committee would not advocate the total exclu- 



