61 . 



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the Society in its schedule offer rewards, the same difhculty 

 being here experienced, in getting them together, for yonr 

 committee to judge of their comparative merits. 



While speaking of these collections of twelves^ your com- 

 mittee would like to call your attention to the fact that your 

 exhibitors either misunderstood or are misinformed as to the 

 conditions on which the Prizes are awarded, namely, the Best 

 twelve, neither more nor lesa. Frequently in this exhibition, fine 

 specimens would be shown of the several varieties evidently 

 intending to compete, but lacking only compliance with the 

 schedule as to number. Take for instance, Parisies, one party, 

 possibly, would have twenty-five specimens arranged in line, 

 another fifty specimens, and these displayed, possibly, in bunch- 

 es of three or four flowers, in a glass, and so on, whereas the 

 schedule says " Best twelve Pansies,^' meaning as your com- 

 mittee interpreted (and as our returns of "prizes awarded" 

 indicate where "no entry is declared complying with rules"), 

 simply Best tivelve, arranged singly. 



Again, some of these collections might profitably be desig- 

 nated as named varieties and seedling varieties. For instance 

 Best Nam.ed Dahlias and Best Seedling Dahlias ; Best 

 Named Verbenas and Best Seedling Verbenas, favoring 

 attempts at producing new sorts and holding well tried ones. 

 Again, you will please notice, you offer for " Best Floral 

 Design." If any of your Honorable and Good-looking Gen- 

 tlemen of the Board, were to seek connubial bliss, or attend a 

 State Dinner, or attempt to throw off these mortal coils, and 

 your friends wished to utilize the Floral Kingdom to help 

 along, and they were, in these lattei- years of the nineteenth 

 century, to order a "Floral Design" of a practical florist, he 

 naturally would be obliged to ask questions. His enquiries 

 would probably cover Wedding, Dinner and Funeral purposes, 

 or some evening's entertainment, requiring, as you will quickly 

 see, different sorts and arrangements of flowers, to suit the 

 occasion. Your committee would suggest the introduction of 

 more technical terms, possibly making at least three classest 



