98 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Lectures and Publications: — Fred A. Wilson, Chairman, Thomas 



Allen, John K. JNI. L. Farquhar. 

 Children's Gardens: — Henry S. Adams, Chairman, Dr. Harris 



Kennedy, ]\Iiss Margaret A. Rand, ]\Irs. W. Rodman 



Peabod>', James Wheeler. 



February 12. Communications from Henry A. Dreer, Inc., The 

 New England Nurserymen's Association, and the Elliott Nursery 

 Company were presented requesting the Society to protest Quaran- 

 tine Order No. 37 of the Federal Horticultural Boarrl. It was 

 voted to express the Society's opposition to the order in its present 

 form. 



The special committee, consisting of ]\Iessrs. Endicott, Farquhar, 

 and Sargent, appointed to consider and report upon the future 

 policy of the Society, presented the following report which was 

 referred for further consideration to the next meeting of the Board. 



Report on the Future Policy of the Society. The sub-committee of 

 the Advisory Committee of the Society appointed to suggest plans for 

 extending the usefulness of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society begs 

 to submit the following: 



That the Massachusetts Horticultural Society must be considered 

 an educational institution is shown bj^ the fact that the State of IMassa- 

 chusetts and the City of Boston allow it to hold real and personal property 

 without taxation. There is, however, a feeling in this community that 

 the Society is not accomplishing as much in increasing the love and knowl- 

 edge of horticulture as it has the right to expect from it in return for the 

 large benefits it receives from the public. 



For many years the principal educational efforts of the Society have 

 taken the form of exhibitions of flowers, fruits and vegetables. It is 

 doubtful if many of these exhibitions held by the Society in recent years 

 have had much educational value or have been worth to the public what 

 thay have cost in money and labor. Horticultural exhibitions are valuable 

 when they make known to persons interested in horticulture new plants, 

 fruits or vegetables, that is, plants which are not in general cultivation 

 but should find a place in gardens. Exhibitions are valuable, too, when 

 they contain examples of exceptionally good cultivation or artistic arrange- 

 ment of material. It is doubtful, however, if prizes of a few dollars offered 

 year after year for plants which have long been familiar objects in Massa- 

 chusetts' greenhouses, or for six summer or winter apples, or for six heads of 

 lettuce which can be found in any fruit shop or market in the city, can be 



