79 



cannot feel the refining influence of flowers, and in caring for 

 and studying them, how can one help being led through Na- 

 ture up to Nature's God I 



"In these we liud where Wisdom hides, 



And modest Beauty cowers, 

 And where Omnipotence resides. 



And Tenderness,— in flowers." * 



Committee — James F. West, Mrs. N. E. Ladd, Mrs. D. W. 

 Low, Susan Putnam, Mrs. L. L. Abbott, Clara A. Hale, 

 Ella E. Abbott. 



VEGETABLES. 



Yonr Committee met promptly in the tent immediately af- 

 ter the meeting of the Society had dissolved. Messrs. Henry 

 A. King, Peabody, Joseph Buzzell, Methuen, and the Chair- 

 man, were present first, but were soon joined by Messrs. An- 

 sel W. Putnam, Danvers, and Asa T. Potter, Ipswich. 



After some discussion as to tlie meaning of the paragraph 

 which accompanies the list of premiums, and which reads, 

 "No competitor for premiums to exhibit either more or less 

 number of specimens of any vegetable than the premiums 

 are offered for," its meaning was clearly understood. It 

 seemed to be more the province of the Superintendent to en- 

 force this rule, than of your Committee. 



A number of competitors had displayed more specimens 

 than are required, while others had shown too few. In the 

 former case the competitors would have] made an equally 

 worthy show had they selected the requisite number of the 

 best specimens, and they would thus have prevented all 

 chance of overcrowding the tent, and enabled the visitors to 

 go aw\ay better instructed, and Avithout having been deceived 

 by inferior specimens. To cite an example of the latter case, 

 a sample of less than twenty-five ears of field corn appeared 



