APPENDIX. 109 



At a meeting of the Executive Committee held on the first day of 

 March, 1878. upon the consideration of the foregoing reports it was found 

 necessary and accordingly ordered that a pro rata deduction of fifty per 

 cent, be made on the premiums awarded at the last annual exhibition, to 

 meet in part the deficiency in the receipts to pay premiums and expenses, 

 as provided in the regulations prefixed to the i)remium list; said de- 

 duction not to apply to the special premiums of James Yick. nor to anj"- 

 premiums amounting in the aggi-egate to less than two dollars to any one 

 person. 



Report of the Secretary on Correspondence and Exchanges. 



The decease of Dr. Weston, formerly Corresponding Secretary, after 

 the election of officers for the year 1877, left a vacancy in that office; and 

 at a meeting of the Executive Committee held June 19. 1877, it was 

 ordered that the Secretary act as Corresponding Secretary for the remain- 

 der of the year. 



The correspondence of the Society, the larger part of which ( relating 

 to matters of business, ) was always conducted by the Secretary, has been 

 quite extensive, amounting to over 200 letters and postals received bj"- 

 myself during the year, and an equal or larger number sent, not including 

 notices of meetings, circulars, premium lists. &c. ; and it is hoped that 

 this statement, in connection with the fact of my constant employment in 

 other business, will serve to excuse or palliate any apparent negligence 

 or omissions which may have occurred in replying to letters received. 



I have, in accordance with the practice of former years, forwarded 

 copies of our Report for 1876 to the secretaries of societies similar to our 

 own in the United States and Canada, and to various public libi-aries, to 

 the editors of the leading papers of this State and of the horticultural 

 journals of the country, also to many distinguished horticulturists and 

 official persons; the most of which have been duly acknowledged or 

 noticed. And I have received in exchange or by gift, for the library of 

 this Society, the following works, viz : 



Department of Agriculture of the United States. Annual 

 Report for 1876. 



Maine. Report of the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture for 1876 ; 

 from S. L. Boardman, Secretary, Augusta. Collections of the Maine 

 Historical Society, 2d series, vol. 1 ; from the State Library. 



Massachusetts. Transactions Mass. Horticultural Society for 1876. 

 Part 2, and 1877, Part 1. From Robert Manning. Secretary. Salem. 



Rhode Island. Charter, Constitution, By-Laws, &c., R. I. Horti- 

 cultural Society; also Rules and Premium List of the same for 1877. 

 From T. K. Parker, Cor. Secretary. 



