108 STATE BOAKD OF AGIllCULTUJiK. 



Ciuevarias tiro great favorite-^ for winter flowers in the greenhonse,. but not 

 very satisfactory for home use. 



Ivy-leaved geraniums are in good denuxnd. People do not like to trust to 

 names, but want to see plants in flower when they buy. 



FERIS^S. 



Some ferns are becoming quite popular for basket plants, among them Pteris 

 serrulata, Adiantum cuneatum, nefrodium molle, asplenium bulbiferum. The 

 above are all good ferns for the living rooms at home. 



Do you wonder why I have not given the common names ? Because many of 

 the plants have no common names, or if they have, they arc not in general use ; 

 or there may be a different common name for each one of many sections of 

 country. 



WHO BUY PLANTS. 



The taste for nice plants grows slowly. It is not confined to the wealthy, but 

 rather the reverse. Many people in limited circumstances buy more plants than 

 the wealthy; they admire them more and take better care of them. 



The younger people, if educated properly in botany and horticulture, will 

 raise more plants and flowers and learn to like them better. 



THE LAWN 



has improved in places where we have manured and mowed frequently, as west of 

 the College Hall and about the Greenhouse, but in many places near the build- 

 ing the grass dries up with a few days of warm weather, because the soil is so 

 light and poor. A little good soil has been added west of the Boarding Hall 

 iind north of it to fill up the inequalities. 



Several tasty rustic seats have been made and placed about the grounds in 

 .suitable places. 



A few trees have been set, including one group of elms, north of the boarding 

 hall, not far from the road. Some evergreens have been set quite thickly for a 

 screen southwest of the house and barn on the place occupied by Professor Beal, 

 filso to the southeast to hide the wood piles and out buildings. The young ever- 

 greens set in grouj^s about the grounds have been well cultivated all the year. 

 Tliey have made a nice growth, paying Avell for all the trouble. 



For want of team work, no gravel has been drawn to extend or to even repair 

 the drives and paths. 



Two large oaks east of the chemical laboratory have been removed because 

 they were nearly dead. Also one north of the boarding hall and one west of 

 the hall, another northwest of the college hall and another (red maple) east of 

 the house of Professor Beal, These were all large trees, which died probably 

 on account of the severe winters of 1873 and 1875. Quite a number of other 

 small white oaks have died and have been removed. 



Twice within six years I have ordered and set out in the best manner a good 

 variety of choice, rare trees, some of them evergreens. Twice the cold winters 

 have killed them or nearly killed many of them, notwithstanding they were well 

 screened and mulched. 



Nothing but iron-clads are safe for much time on these grounds or in this 

 climate. Among the best evergreens hardy here are Norway sjn'uce, Austrian 

 pine, Scotch pine, white pine, cembrian pine, arbor vitse, Siberian arbor vitse, 

 abies alcoquiana, dwarf pine, red cedar, savin, black spruce. 



