REPORT OF COMMITTEE OX WINDOW GARDENING. 311 



culties in securing opportunities for exliibitious in the liall of this 

 Society, without encroaching on the customary claims of the 

 otlier Committees. We desired to secure results, not troubles, 

 and therefore held our exhibitions in such church parlors or 

 halls as were offered ; and as children could not be expected to 

 take long walks twice in one day, — and ttie only holiday they had, 

 — that plan was considered excellent. Endeavoring this year not 

 to interfere with the use of the halls for the Florists, or the Fall 

 Exhibitions, we decided to attempt an out-of-doors exhibition at 

 Franklin Park. This plan received the approbation of all in- 

 terested. The application for permission to assemble in the 

 grounds, so well adapted for the purpose, was granted, " said ex- 

 hibition to be held immediately following the opening of the 

 public schools." With the appointed day came the usual fall 

 rain, and so tempestuous was it that it might well have been 

 deemed a second deluge. The Committee were on hand to re- 

 ceive and arrange the five hundred plants, each in four-inch pots, 

 in excellent condition for winter growth and flowering. Alas, 

 for the plans of men, which " gang aft agley " ! The cars ceased 

 running up the hill to the entrance of the Park. The man whose 

 services had been granted by the Commissioners to assist in 

 unloading, failed to put in an appearance. The work was delayed 

 until help could be secured, thus adding materially to the ex- 

 penses in an entirely unforeseen manner. 



After considering that should the ctouds roll by. as they did 

 later in the day, the condition of the grass would utterly pre- 

 clude games or strolling about the walks, the Committee arranged 

 for a postponement, sent the children, who were waiting at the 

 car-station, to their homes, gave a fine plant, brought by a school 

 girl from the extreme North end of Boston, into the charge of the 

 matron, and left the wet grounds in season to advertise in the 

 evening papers that due notice of the postponement would be 

 given in the Sunday-schools on the morrow. 



The next Saturday came, but a dreary week of rain and steamy 

 atmosphere had made it no pleasanter for a floral show. The 

 plants, which had been grown in open air and sunlight for six or 

 seven weeks, felt the change to a cool, dark cellar, closely stowed 

 in the boxes. Their appearance cannot be adequately described 

 b}' any words in the P^nglish language — only the im:igination can 

 picture their wretched condition. The successful exhibitors of 



