REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON FLOWERS, 



FOR THE YEAR 1897. 



By J. WOODWARD MANNING, Chairman. 



Your Committee beg leave to make the following report : 



The seasoD of 1897 has brought forth a larger number of exhibi- 

 tions than in the past, and has been remarkable in many respects 

 for the quantity and quality of the flowers exhibited. The Lower 

 Hall has been taxed to its utmost capacity on nearly every occa- 

 sion when prizes have been offered for important classes of 

 flowers. While the abnormally cool weather conditions of the 

 early part of the summer retarded the development of the flowers, 

 abundant later rains produced, on the whole, a greater quantity 

 and better quality of flowers than in the past ; yet in some classes 

 this served to develop diseases to an unusual degree, this being 

 especially true of Hollyhocks, which, presumably for this cause, 

 were shown in scanty numbers. 



Your Committee have found it necessary, in view of the con- 

 tinued increase of exhibits other than those for which regular 

 prizes are scheduled, to reduce very materially the gratuities that 

 have in the past been awarded for such outside exhibits. This 

 experience has made it evident that it will be necessary to reduce 

 even to a larger extent the amount of such gratuities; in fact, it 

 seems almost necessary to award Cei tificates in the place of monej' 

 prizes in the near future, unless a larger appropriation can be 

 arranged. 



The exhibits of Native Plants have increased in number and 

 have taxed the capacity of the hall, especially when exhibited in 



