REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON WINDOW GARDENING. 313 



of this Comuiittee. Palms, Aspidistra, Ficus elastica, and Ferns 

 are easily managed by a gardener's assistant in the conservatory or 

 large window in some favored sunny locality. They are expensive, 

 too large, and do not bear bright-colored blossoms. Color always 

 carries a fascination to a child. Gifts of two of the members of 

 this Society, comprising a valuable Begonia Rex, Poinsettia, and 

 Solanum cajisicastnan, which, on account of their size, were rele- 

 gated to older raisers, will take their places in the windows 

 offered for exhibition later in the season ; which windows must 

 not be subjected to a sudden fall of temperature when the maid- 

 of-all-work opens a window, or the neat housekeeper must secure 

 ventilation and thoroughly air the apartment. 



The more hard}' plants — Ivy, Cactus, Sedum, and Allium, 

 with Narcissus, and occasionally a pot of 4Scilla or Oxalis, wtll 

 grown — will eventually lead to the care of more delicate plants. 

 This is what your Committee hope to accomplish. 



Neither cast down nor discouraged, we ask for a continuance 

 of your cooperation. A real enthusiasm for flowers should be 

 divorced, for a time at least, from the consideration of the money 

 value which underlies many of the exhibitions weekly offered in 

 our halls. 



If the Society deems the encouragement of children in the culture 

 of flowers to be only charitable work, we would ask whether much 

 of all work in the line of distribution of prizes is not open to the 

 same criticism. But we feel sure the Societ\- builded better than 

 it thought when it assumed the formation of a Committee to en- 

 courage Window Gardening. Put on to the Committee some of 

 the younger members — if there be such — who can out of their 

 experience help on the good cause. The absence of active young 

 members opens the question : AVhy is it ? Possiblj- the idea is 

 prevalent in the community that membership requires a business 

 education as a florist. 



Allow the Committee the services of the paid attendants of the 

 Society the few times during the season when they are so 

 needed. If we can vote the use of our halls for days at a time 

 to strangers for their own advantage, do in justice see to it that 

 the funds appropriated for this Committee are not encroached 

 upon by such needs. At every meeting we hold in the State 

 the Horticultural Society receives heartily expressed recognition 

 from the Chairman and the Secretary of this Committee. We 



