172 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



places, and uo hardy trees or shrubs could possibly serve as 

 substitutes. Moreover a large variety of bedding plants bloom all 

 summer, while shrubs, with few exceptions, are in flower only a 

 short time. 



Mr. Temple did not mean to say that too much encouragement 

 was given to the culture and improvement of bedding plants, but 

 that too little had been given to efforts applied to hardy trees, 

 shrubs, vines, etc. When he spoke of cheap annuals, he meant 

 only those which are easily grown, and require little knowledge 

 or skill. 



Mr. Hovey believed that everybody could grow annuals. 



William C. Stroug said that it is natural tiiat plants which are 

 easily and therefore cheaply propagated should be more prominent 

 in commerce than those propagated with difficulty. Also that, 

 as compared with trees, shrubs would be much the same. That 

 this is the case, is not so much the fault of the Society as of 

 dealers, who every year make a specialty of the trade in quickly 

 grown plants. He did not think this Society had been remiss in 

 its duty, nor even backward in its encouragement to growers 

 in any department. It has been accustomed for a long time, 

 to offer Prospective Prizes to the originators of improved fruits 

 and vegetables, and these have been productive of fairly good 

 results. He thought it would be well for the Committee for 

 Establishing Prizes to consider the propriet}' of giving additional 

 encouragement to the production and introduction of new varieties 

 of ornamental trees and shrubs. It certainly is a much slower 

 process to obtain these, than a new seedling strawberry, for 

 example, and the introducer of these should receive proportionate 

 encouragement. The speaker said he was in full accord with the 

 essayist in regard to the honor and dignity of the gardener's 

 profession. Old gardeners are held in honor in England. This is 

 relatively a new country, but it is only right that we should desire 

 our gardeners to be as well trained, and be held in as high esteem 

 and honor as those in the old countries. A thoroughly trained and 

 accomplished gardener should be regarded as one of the family or 

 of the firm, for he is, properly, a most interested party to the- 

 progress and success of the estate or the establishment with which 

 he is identified. But there is an influence in our country which 

 leads men who have ability, to think they should use it in some 

 purely money-making scheme, or occupation. 



