TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



assatltusdtis p0i1inilt«tiil ^mltiv. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, January 3, 1891. 



A duly notified stated meeting of the Society was holden at 

 eleven o'clock, the President, William H. Spoonee, in the chair. 



This being the commencement of the term of office of the new^ 

 board of officers and standing Committees, the President delivered 

 an appropriate annual address as follows : 



Address of President Spooner. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Massachusetts Horticnltund 

 Society: — Another j'ear has passed, and we meet to exchange 

 friendly wishes for that which is before us, and to recall with 

 pleasure the successes in which we have all felt so much interest 

 during the months that have left their treasures with us. Three of our 

 principal exhibitions were remarkably fine ; that in March, of bulbs^ 

 which were of high merit, and notably the Aimual Show of Plants^ 

 which, even in the sultry mouth of August, aroused great enthu- 

 siasm among the lovers of the beautiful, long to be remembered. 

 The meeting of the National Society of Florists, at that time, 

 furnished a pleasant stimulus to our efforts in this direction, and 

 the opportunity was certainly improved to the fullest extent. The 

 members of that .Societ}', representing the most intelligent cultiva- 

 tors of the country and so strongly influencing its commercial 

 floral industries, were visitors who added greatl}'^ to the zest of the 

 occasion, and the Committees having all arrangements in charge 

 deserved high praise for their untiring energy in bringing together 

 so large a number of exhibitors with their magnificent collections- 



