62 



as Best Funeral Design, Best Table Design, and Best Wcd- 

 din^- Desw'fi. 



We would also respectfully call your attention to the fact 

 that no notice is taken, in your schedule of Plant Exhibitors, 

 unless it may come under the sentence " For largest and best 

 display from one individual," which from its connection, your 

 committee have interpreted as referring only to Flowers. You 

 certainly know you cannot expect flowers unless there are 

 plants to produce them, and the latter certainly merit a share 

 of attention. 



Your ruling that all Flowers exhibited, should be of the Ex- 

 hibitor's own growing, seems to your committee, a wise one, 

 with the exception of the " Floral Designs." With these, no 

 single grower would probably have, at any one time, such 

 flowers as would go to make up a proper and tasteful design, 

 and an exception in their favor would possibly be desirable to 

 get a complete display, and satisfactory competition. 



While it is true tire cultivation of Flowering and Ornamental 

 Plants are luxuries, often costly ones at that, there are yet 

 large returns to the whole body of the people, in its education- 

 al effect, in it as a source of many home attractions, and as 

 subjects for many first lessons in beauty and harmony of colors 

 and forms. It should also be the aim of the Society in this 

 Department, in the opinion of your committee, to properly 

 notice quality and choiceness in its exhibitions, to develop, as we 

 might term it, the "Artist" in grouping and arranging these 

 productions of Nature. 



In the above, your 'committee have endeavored to notice 

 some of the difficulties they have met with, and some of the 

 chances for improvement and enlargement, in this Department, 

 that seems desirable, and without further remark, congratulate 

 your Society upon the evident activity and interest in this, as 

 well as the other fields of the Society's work. 



The 'Committee award as follows : — 



Mrs. C. II. Perry, Danvers, best pair parlor bouquets, premi. 



