10 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



expressed the views of the mushroom lover iu a letter to me, I 

 shall present it as being what I would call to your attention. 



Hoping that this new year may bring profit and happiness in 

 all due quantity to our members, and expressing my appreciation 

 of the honor of again serving you in this chair, we Avill now 

 continue the usual order of business. 



The appropriations previously recommended by the Executive 

 Committee for the year 1897 came up for final action, and were 

 unanimously voted, as follows : 



For Prizes and Gratuities : 



For Plants 1 2,000 



For Flowers 



For Fruits 



For Vegetables . 



For Gardens 



2,600 



1,800 



1,200 



500 



Total for Prizes and Gratuities for the year 1897, f 8,100 

 These amounts are the same as last year, except that for Vege- 

 tables, to which $50 is added. 



The following appropriations were also recommended, all being' 



the same as last year : 



For the Committee on Lectures and Publication, this 

 sum to include the income of $50 from the John 

 Lewis Russell Fund $300 



For the Committee of Arrangements, this sum to cover 



all extraordinary expenses of said Committee . . 400 



For the Library Committee for the purchase of maga- 

 zines and newspapers, binding of books, and inci- 

 dental expenses of said Committee .... 400 



For the Committee on School Gardens and Children's 

 Herbariums, this sum to cover all incidental expenses 

 of said Committee, and to be paid through the usual 

 channels ......... 250 



The Executive Committee further recommended that the sum 

 of $38 be transferred to the Flower Committee from the unex- 

 pended balance of the appropriation for the Fruit Committee, to 

 cover the deficit in the awards made by the Flower Committee in 

 1896, the same not to establish a precedent. 



The Executive Committee also reported that they had procured 



