1869.] secretary's report. 27 



Your serious attention is invited to a consideration of the expediency of a 

 longer retention of the system of awarding premiums in silver plate. It is true 

 that few complaints are heard ; nevertheless there are some. And, although 

 they mainly come from those who usually exact all from the officers of the 

 society, conceding little in return ; and notably, in at least one instance, from a 

 non-conformist to the most reasonable rules of the Committee on Exhibitions ; 

 it is barely possible that the policy, adopted as an experiment, may prove wor- 

 thy of discontinuance. It was in the mind of your Secretary, when suggesting 

 the trial, that the method of paying premiums, whether in money or plate, should 

 be at the option of the contributor who had received the smiles of Fortune. 

 Perhaps it might be well, if a method can be devised that will obviate the ne- 

 cessity of the society keeping on hand a stock of silver ware, to put it in such 

 alternative. This, at least, is certain, that, contrary to the suspicions of some, 

 the society loses, rather than otherwise, by the award of plate. Where money 

 is given it sometimes is allowed to the treasury. Where plate is assigned, 

 woman claims her rights and deposits them within her parlor closet. 



In his last annual report, your Secretary invited your attention to the matter 

 of an ancient agreement with the late William Piper relative to a future joint 

 use of the western party-wall of Horticultural Hall, The subject was referred 

 to a committee by whom the duty of effecting a settlement with Mr. Piper was 

 subsequently delegated to Hon. Francis H. Dewey. It is pleasant to be able 

 to record the fact, honorable to all parties, that an arrangement was speedily 

 accoinplished upon terms mutually satisfactory, as one result of which a very 

 handsome sum of money was paid into the treasury of the society. Especial 

 prominence is given to this matter as it furnishes a signal example of the truth 

 of the old saying thai our misfortunes are often only blessings in disguise. 

 Had it not been for the occurrence of a fire in the western ante room of the 

 hail no search would ever have been made at the Registry of Deeds to ascertain 

 upon what conditions the society holds its property. Such a search, however, 

 disclosed the existence of an agreement, upon record, whereof all trace had 

 escaped from human memory. Still it might not be advisable to have another 

 fire upon the premises in any reasonable anticipation of similar good fortune. 



In the near vicinity of a growing and populous city, many injuries are done 

 to the cultivated enclosures and trees, whether of fruit or forest, that cannot be 

 remedied, but which legislation, so prescient of other matters, might easily pre- 

 vent. Thus for years past, and notably during the present season, the chest- 

 nuts, alike grand in appearance as useful in substance, have been mauled and 

 marred by gangs of loafers who knew, if not the actual owner, at least that the 

 fruit was not their own. But two short weeks since a member of this society 

 discovered a half-dozen teams hitched to his fences, and a half score of men 

 pounding his trees, for the chance of obtaining a few nuts, with fourteen-pound 

 mallets of solid iron. Wherever such a blow falls, thereafter is death — not 

 necessarily immediately fatal to the existence of the tree, but sapping its vitality 



