REPORT OF THE SECRETARY AND LIBRARIAN 

 FOR THE YEAR 1908. 



The work of the Soci^y during the year 1908 has been carried 

 on through the usual channels and it would be a repetition of the 

 reports of the chairmen of the various committees to refer to it 

 except in a general way. 



Thirteen public exhibitions of plants, flowers, fruits, and vege- 

 tables have been given and it is not stating it too strongly to say 

 that in general arrangement and in quality of material the Society's 

 high standard of excellence has been fully maintained. The 

 public interest, also, in these flower shows has been well kept up 

 and the opening of them on Sunday afternoons still continues to 

 meet with general approval. The increased interest in the smaller 

 shows is undoubtedly due in great measure to the extension of the 

 hours of exliibition. It was formerly the custom to limit them to 

 Saturday afternoons from 12 to 3 o'clock, but during the last few 

 years the experiment has been tried of keeping them open from 12 

 to 6 o'clock on Saturday and from 2 to 6 o'clock on Sunday. 



The effect of this policy has been two-fold, for it has not only 

 afforded larger opportunity for the inspection of the exhibitions 

 but it has tended to increase the interest of the exliibitors them- 

 selves by making it more worth while to bring in larger and more 

 ambitious displays. 



It will be noticed that there has been a tendency in recent years 

 to reduce the number of the exhibitions of the Society. During 

 the years from 1890 to 1896 there were held from twenty-one to 

 twenty-four exhibitions annually, whereas in the present year but 

 thirteen were held. 



This policy appears to have had the effect of increasing the mag- 

 nitude of what used to be called the smaller shows, making all 

 the exhibitions really large ones as was the case this year. The 

 results of this plan of reducing the number of the exhibitions of the 

 Society and its influence on the horticultural interests of the com- 

 munity will be noted with interest and doubtless will call forth a 

 strong difference of opinion. It should be stated, however, in the 



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