BY-LAWS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ADOPTED JUNE, 1866 BOSTON: PRINTED BY HENRY W. DUTTON fc SON, Transcript Building. 1866. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Special Collections & Rare Books BY-LAWS. SECTION I. THE OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY. The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary and a Recording Secretary, who shall be chosen by ballot, and shall hold their offices for one year, and until others are chosen in their stead; provided however, that no person shall be eligible to the office of President unless he shall have been a member for the term of three yeai-s previous. SECTION II. PROFESSOR. • A Professor of Botany and Vegetable Physiology shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Society, who shall, ex officio, be a member of the Library Committee. SECTION III. STANDING COMMITTEES. There shall be chosen by ballot at the annual meeting the fol- lowing Standing Committees: — An Executive Committee of A Finance Committee of A Committee for Establishing Prizes of « " on the Library, . « « « Ornamental Gardening, « « " Fruits, . u « « Plants and Flowers, u " " Vegetables, « « of Arrangements, 4 members. 3 (( 1 u 5 (( 4 u 7 a 7 li 7 a . 13 u 4 BY-LAWS. SECTION IV. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting for the election of Officers, a Professor and Standing Committees, shall be held on the first Saturday of October, and they shall enter upon their respective duties on the first Satur- day of January ensuing. SECTION Y. NOTICE OF ELECTIONS. At least ten days' notice shall be given by the Recording Secre- tary of every annual election, by publishing the same in not less than three newspapers printed in the city of Boston. The notice shall specify the- time and place of said election, and the different Officers, a Professor and Committees, to be voted for ; and unless thirty members at least shall be present, and give in their votes, the President or presiding officer shall adjourn the said election for the term of three weeks,,of which adjourned election the like notice shall be given as of the annual election, and the election shall then proceed, whatever may be the number of members present. SECTION VI. MODE OF BALLOTING. The names of persons to be balloted for at the annual election shall be contained on one ballot, and the offices for wliich they are respectively nominated shall be distinctly designated. The polls shall remain open thirty minutes at least, and, when closed, the President or presiding officer shall appoint a Committee of two to assort, count, and report the number of votes given, and the Presi- dent shall declare who has a majority and who are elected. SECTION VII. THE STATED MEETINGS. The stated meetings of the "Society shall be held on the first Saturday of January, of April, of July, and of October. Should a BY-LAWS. legal holiday occur on any of the preceding days, the meeting shall be held on the Saturday next succeeding. SECTION VIII. QUORUM. Twenty members, exclusive of the President or presiding officer, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings except that of the annual election. SECTION IX. ORDER OF BUSINESS. 1. Reading the Records of last meeting. 2. Proposals for membership. 3. Reports of Committees. 4. Deferred and new business. 5. Elections. 6. Reading of communications. SECTION X. VACANCIES, HOW FILLED. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in any of the offices of the Society it shall be filled by a special election, of which two weeks' notice shall be given by the Recording Secretary in not less than three newspapers printed in the city of Boston ; and if vacancies occur in the Standing Committees, they may be filled at any stated meeting of the Society. SECTION XL THE PRESIDENT. The duty of the President shall be to preside at all the meetings of the Society ; to keep order ; to state the business before the Society ; to state and put questions, and, in case of an equal divi- sion on any question, to give the casting vote ; to call for accounts and reports from all committees ; to call extra meetings of the So- 6 BY-LAWS. ciety, when requested in writing by twelve members, and generally to superintend the execution of such By-Laws and Regulations as the Society shall from time to time enact, not otherwise provided for. lie shall also report, from time to time, what measures in his judgment are necessary for promoting its objects and extending its usefulness. SECTION XII. THE VICE-PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the President at any meeting of the Society, the senior Vice-President present shall preside, and exercise all the authority, privileges and power of the President ; and in case neither the President nor any one of the Vice-Presidents shall be present, the Society shall choose a President pro tempore, who shall be invested with all the power and authority of the President. SECTION XIII. DUTIES OF THE TREASURER. The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Society, and deposit the same in some bank in the city of Boston, where his account, as Treasurer, shall be kept, and all payments shall be made by checks. He shall pay no prizes or gratuities except upon the written order of the Chairmen of the respective Com- mittees ; and shall require all bills presented for payment to be approved by the competent authority. He shall have the care and custody of the seal of the Society and of the dies for the medals ; and he shall cause the medals to be struck when required, and shall deliver them from time to time, as awarded. He shall have in his care and safe keeping the bonds, deeds, notes, certificates of stock, or other evidence of property ; shall make all transfers and investments, with consent and approval of the Finance Com- mittee ; shall pay the taxes, insurance, interest on loans, &c., and keep a correct account of the disbursements and receipts of the Society. He shall also act as Superintendent of the Building, with the advice of the Finance Committee, and shall attend to the BY-LAWS. 7 care and letting of the same, and the collection of rents and other income of the Society. For the faithful performance of his duties he shall give bonds, in such sum and with such sureties as shall be approved by the Finance Committee. SECTION XIV. DUTIES OF CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Society ; he shall keep copies of the same in a book pro- vided for the purpose, which shall be open to the inspection of the members at any meeting ; he shall also receive and read all letters and papers addressed to the Society, and shall dispose of them in such manner as shall be prescribed by the By-Laws or directed by the Society. In the absence of the Recording Secretary the Corresponding Secretary shall perform his duties ; and in the ab- sence of both Secretaries the President shall appoint a Correspond- ing or Recording Secretary jpro tempore: SECTION XV. DUTIES OF RECORDING SECRETARY. The Recording Secretary shall give notice of all' stated and special meetings of the Society, by a notice published in some news- paper printed in the city of Boston, and of adjourned meetings by a notice posted in the Library Room of the Society, and shall reg- ularly record the proceedings thereof in a book to be kept for that purpose. In the absence of the Corresponding Secretary he shall perform his duties. He shall give notice to each person of his election. He shall record the election of every member, with the date thereof, and by whom proposed, in a book kept for the purpose, and shall report his name and residence to the Treasurer. He shall deliver to the Executive Committee a copy of the proceedings of each meeting whenever requested, and shall cause to be prepared and counter- signed all diplomas or certificates of membership. 8 BY-LAWS. SECTION XVI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The President, and Ex-Presidents ex-officio, and four other members, to be elected at the annual meeting, shall constitute this Committee. They shall have free access, at all times, to the records of the Society, and to the books of the Treasurer, and it shall be their duty to recommend to the Society, on or before the first Saturday of November, the amount to be appropriated for prizes and gratuities the ensuing year ; and also, on the first Saturday of December, to report the list of those that are to be offered by the respective committees, with their approval or disapproval of the same. It shall be the duty of this Committee, with the aid of the Professor of Botany, to publish so much of the proceedings of every meeting or exhibition as shall be ordered by the Society. SECTION XVII. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee shall have a general supervision of the Building and other property of the Society, and shall approve all transfers and investments made by the Treasurer. They shall examine and audit the Treasurer s account in time for him to pre- sent the same to the Society on the first Saturday of January. They shall make all settlements with the Treasurer of Mount Auburn Cemetery, and generally adjust all matters appertaining to the indenture between the Society and that Corporation. They shall also, with the assent and concurrence of the President, deter- mine the number and salaries of all officers of the Society, not provided for by the By-Laws. SECTION XVIII. LIBRATIY COMMITTEE. The Committee on the Library sliall have charge of all books, drawings and engravings, and shall, from time to time, procure such works as may be deemed expedient, not exceeding the amount appropriated for the purpose. They shall cause the Library to be BY-LAWS. 9 opened for the use of th^ members on Saturday of eacli week, and during such other times as tliey may deem expedient. Tliey shall report on the first Saturday in December, the condition of the Library, and what measures may be necessary for its preservation and augmentation ; and shall adopt and enforce regulations for the Library and Cabinet, which have been approved by the Society. These regulations shall be affixed to every volume, and posted in the Library room. SECTION XIX. COMMITTEE FOR ESTABLISHING PRIZES. This Committee shall consist of the Chairmen of the Committee on Gardens, Fruits, Plants and Flowers, and Vegetables, and one other member, who shall be chosen at the annual election; and the Committee elect shall present to the Executive Committee, on or before the first Saturday of December, a list of the prizes they recommend to be offered, which, if approved, shall be adopted and published as the List of Prizes for the ensuing year. SECTION XX. COMMITTEES FOR AVTARDIXG PRIZES AND GRATUITIES. These Committees shall be the Committee on Gardens, the Committee on Fruits, the Committee on Plants and Flowers, and the Committee on Vegetables. Two members of either of these Committees shall be a quorum, and if two members shall not be in attendance the member present may appoint other members of the Society to fill the vacancy. ' The said committees, except that on Gardens, shall attend at the Society's Hall, one hour before the same is opened to the public, to examine the specimens exhibited, and award the Prizes or Gratuities ; also to attend at such other times and places as may be prescribed by the Society. Thev shall make rules in regard to the time and manner of exhibiting specimens for prizes, to be approved by the Society. They shall examine all new Plants, Flowers, Fruits or Vegetables presented at the exhibitions, and report their correct name, description ] 0 BY-LAWS. and merit. They shall make a report of each Exhibition for pub- lication. The Committee on Ornamental Gardening shall visit such gar- dens, parks, &c., as may be offered for prizes, under such rules as may be prescribed by the Society ; and in making their awards of prizes the Committee shall have reference to the arrangement and laying out of such gardens, grounds, &c., as in accordance with the true principles of beauty and art ; to the adaptation of the trees, shrubs and plants therein to such arrangement, and to the uses to which such are applied, as well as to their keeping and cultivation. On the first Saturday of December, the said Committees shall report to the Society the Prizes and Gratuities awarded by them. No member of any of the Committees for awarding Prizes or Gratuities shall in any case vote respecting an award for which such member may be a competitor, or have an interest therein ; but in such case such member or members shall temporarily with- draw from the committee, and the vacancy shall be supplied by the remaining members ; and in case all the members of any com- mittee are competitors for any and the same prize, the award of tlie same shall be made by a special committee appointed for the purpose by the President, or, in his absence, by either of the Vice- Presidents of the Society. SECTION XXI. COMMITTEE ON ORNAMENTAL GARDENING. The Committee on Ornamental Gardening shall consist of the Chairmen of the respective Committees on Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables, and four members to be chosen at the annual meeting. SECTION XXII. (;<>MMITTKE or ARRANGEMENTS TO SUPERINTEND THE ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS. There shall be, in September or October, one or more Exhibi- tions of Fruits and Flowers, or of Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables, '•ither separately or together, as the Society may direct, and a BY-LAWS. ll Committee of Arrangements shall be chosen from the Standing Committees on Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables, at the annual meet°- ing, to superintend the same. SECTION XXIII. ELECTION OF MEMBERS. Candidates for Life and Subscription Membership may be proposed at any meeting of the Society. All proposals shall be referred to the Executive Committee, who shall examine the same and report, on the first Saturday of each month, the names of such persons as they recommend for election. A majority of the mem- bers present shall be necessary to elect a member. SECTION XXIV. HONORARY AND CORRESPONDING MEMBERS. The Society may (upon recommendation of the Executive Com- mittee) elect Honorary and Corresponding Members at any stated meeting; to each of whom the Corresponding Secretary shall transmit a. Diploma or Certificate of his election, under the seal of the Society, signed by the President and countersigned by the Recording Secretary ; and such members shall not be entitled to any of the pecuniary, elective or controlling privileges of the Society. SECTION XXV. LIFE MEMBERS. The payment of thirty dollars shall constitute a Life Member- ship, and exempt the member from all future assessments. And any member, having once paid an admission fee, may become a Life Member by the payment of twenty dollars in addition thereto. 12 BY-LAWS. SECTION XXVI. ADMISSION FEE AND ANNUAL ASSESSMENT. Every subscription member, before he receives his Diploma or exercises the privileges of a member, shall pay the sum of ten dollars as an admission fee, and shall be subject afterwards to an annual assessment of two dollars. SECTION XXVII. PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP. Each member shall be entitled to the privilege of voting, of eligi- bility to office or appointment, of receiving a Diploma or Certificate of Membership, a copy of the published transactions of the So- ciety, and a printed copy of the By-Laws of the Society, of using the Library, and of free admission to all the exhibitions of the Society, for himself and his family. SECTION XXVIIL DISCONTINUANCE OF MEMBERSHIP. Any member who shall neglect, for the space of two years, to pay his annual assessment, shall cease to be a member of the So- ciety ; and the Treasurer shall erase his name from the list oi members. Any member may, at will, withdraw from the Society, on giving notice to the Treasurer, and paying the amount due from him to the Society. SECTION XXIX. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS. If any member shall dishonor the Society, or shall be guilty af any breach of good faith towards the Society, he may be expelled therefrom, two-thirds of the members present voting for his expul- sion. But no member shall be expelled unless a written notice of the motion be served by the Secretary upon him personally, or left at his usual place of abode, at least twenty days before it is acted upon. BY-LAWS. 13 SECTION XXX. FISCAL YEAR. The Fiscal Year shall commence on the first