At the regular stated monthly meeting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, on the 16th inst., a notable event in its history took place. It was a red-letter day. On that occasion the property was conveyed to the Society, in trust, on the sole condition that the building should be devoted to the use of the Society.

This gift is the munificence of Miss Elizabeth Schaffer, as a memorial to the memory of her deceased brother, the late President of the Society, Mr. Wm. L. Schaffer. It comes to the Society clear of all incumbrance whatever, Miss Schaffer having paid off the mortgage of $75,000, discharged a ground rent on 15 feet of the property adjoining the building and purchased the stock held by the present President, Mr. J. E. Mitchell.

When Miss Schaffer became her brother's sole heir, under his will, she expressed a desire that the hall should in some way become the property of the Society, and various propositions were made as to its transfer. Finally, on November 1, 1886, through her nephew, Dr. Charles Schaffer, Miss Schaffer proposed to cancel the above incumbrances, and then convey the property to the Society, to be held by it, in trust, as a per petual memorial of her brother; provided that, if it ever ceased to be held for the chartered objects of the Society, or if the Society should cease to exist, the property should revert to Miss Schaffer or her heirs.

Resuming business, after the reception of Miss Schaffer's gift, the following officers for the year 1887 were elected : President, Joseph E. Mitchell; Vice-Presidents, Caleb Cope, Isaac C. Price, Geo. W. Earl, Robert Craig; Corresponding Secretary, Thomas Meehan; Recording Secretary, Edwin Lonsdale; Treasurer, W. F. Dreer; Professor of Botany, Charles Schaffer, M. D.; Professor of Horticultural Chemistry, James C. Booth; Professor of Entomology, S. S. Rathvon.

The meeting, which was an unusually full one - in anticipation of this occasion, as well as for election of officers - very promptly, properly and with great thankfulness unanimously accepted the gift in a resolution offered by Mr. Price and by a rising vote :

Whereas, Miss Schaffer having tendered to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society the hall they now occupy, as a testimony of affection to the memory of her brother, William L. Schaffer, our late President, we desire to place on record our high appreciation of her generosity and tender to her our heartfelt thanks for thus placing this time-honored Society on a firm basis by putting it in possession of a building admirably adapted for the purpose of holding our meetings and exhibitions, and, when not needed for our purposes, is well adapted for concerts and meetings, the rental from which will enable the Society to increase its premiums for flowers, fruits, vegetables, etc., and thereby stimulate a very useful class of florists and others to increased excellence in their various callings. It will also enable us to establish a reading-room and to resume the publication of our transactions. It is therefore Resolved, That we gratefully accept Miss Schaffer's truly munificent gift, to be placed in the hands of trustees designated by her brother, at such times as may be most agreeable and con-' venient to herself; and we hereby pledge ourselves to carry out her wishes in every particular, and will ever remember the interest she has taken to carry out the wishes of her beloved brother, whose many generous acts will ever be held in grateful remembrance.

This occurrence marks a new era in the history of the Society. May it be so inspiring that the spirit as well as the letter of the conditions of the donation shall be observed. As well in true gratitude and recollection of the generous donors, as to insure the real permanent usefulness of the Society; rising, in emulation of the givers, above mere mercenary considerations, to the feeling that the object of the gift as well as the property is to be handed down to the next following generation as a trust unimpaired by the transmission.

This grateful occasion is closely associated with reminiscences of the old hall burned to the ground on the same site on Feb. 1st, 1881. The munificence of Mr. Schaffer came to the rescue on that occasion as that of his sister does in the present one. He gave the use of the property to the Society free of all rent for exhibition purposes, and for its meetings. In the Gardeners' Monthly for December, 1866, appeared a full page illustration of the first Horticultural Hall, then building, as it was to appear, and the following editoral notice:

"We give as a frontispiece for the present volume of the Gardeners' Monthly, a cut of the new Horticultural Hall. It will be the largest public hall in Philadelphia, and. as representing Horticulture and its influence, will possess an interest to all our readers, especially as the good results of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society by its lectures and free competition to all the country, members or not, renders the usefulness of the Society more universal than is usual with such local institutions".

In January No., 1867, appeared the following: "The Hall of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, now being built on Broad Street, will be the largest Horticultural Hall in this country - and probably in the world. The entire building is 75 feet front by 200 feet deep, and 60 feet high, being as long as the upper saloon of the Chinese Museum was before it was burnt, and 15 feet wider, with a ground floor longer than that of the lower saloon of the museum building. The hall will, therefore, enable the Society to get up their autumnal exhibitions on a scale of splendor fully equal, if not superior, to those held in the Chinese Museum.

"The ladies of the Society will hold a grand 'Bazaar,' for the sale of horticultural, floricultural and fancy articles, on the 29th of May next, in the new hall, at which time the Society will also hold its spring exhibition and competition for roses, strawberries, etc., the whole forming a grand horticultural display and bazaar, the proceeds of which will be devoted to decorating the hall. It has not yet been decided when the formal opening of the hall will take place, but early in the spring of 1867, of which due notice will be given".

In November, 1867, appeared the following: