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THE GARDENERS MONTHLY 



[June, 



Heliotrope, with a cyme of flowers twelve inches 

 wide. It was the plant's first flower. If it contin- 

 ues in this way it will be a wonderful variety. It 

 was exhibited by Mr. D. Curtin. Another admira- 

 ble plant was Begonia rubra, exhibited by Mr. 

 James Barrows. It was two feet and-a-half high, 

 central stem perfectly straight, numerous 

 branches arranged in a regular manner around 

 the stem, from which hundreds of its large bright 

 red flowers depended. 



Professor Thomas Meehan gave his usual free 

 lecture on the botanical and horticultural fea- 

 tures of the plants on exhibition. 



Lawrence, Mass. Horticultural Society. — 

 At the last meeting the following Resolution was 

 passed : 



Resolved, That the President, Lawrence Daven- 

 port, notify the Gardener's Monthly of an 

 organization known by the name of " The Law- 

 rence Cottagers' Amateur Horticultural Society." 

 Its object is to encourage a better growth in 

 flowers, fruits and vegetables. It holds its meetings 

 monthly ; proposes some subject at each meet- 

 ing for essays and discussion at the next. Subject 

 for discussion May 1st is, " The tulip, its habits, 

 and how to grow them." The society opened on 

 March 27th, with fifteen members; at the second 

 meeting, April 17th nine more were added, and 

 the prospects are very encouraging. This, is 

 the first step taken in this place — a city of forty 

 thousand inhabitants — towards anything of the 

 kind, and we hope it may grow and become a 

 society worthy of its name. 



American Nurserymen's Association. — This 

 very useful association will meet this year at 

 Rochester, N. Y., from June 21st to 24th. The 

 proceedings will be very interesting, and it is 

 expected that the attendance will be large. 

 Prof. Meehan, J. J. Thomas, C. L. Watrous, 

 Patrick Barry and others will prepare papers, or 

 make addresses. 



Philadelphia Florists' Association. — The 

 gardeners and florists of Philadelphia have 

 formed an association called the " Philadelphia 

 Florists and Growers' Association." It has for 

 its object the mutual improvement and benefit 

 of its members. The meetings Avill be held 

 monthly. It is exclusively a trade organization, 

 and supplies a want long felt by the florists of 

 Philadelphia. It has not yet been fully deter- 

 mined to hold exhibitions, but the feeling among 

 the gardeners seems to be in favor of making 

 public displays of their skill. It will be some 



little time before the new association is in good 

 working order. It promises however to be very 

 successful and worthy of support. 



The officers plected for the year are : Robert 

 Kift, President; W. F. Fancourt, First Vice 

 President; Thos. M. Fergusson, Second Vice 

 President; Danl. D. L. Farson, Recording Secre- 

 tary ; Wm. E. Meehan, Corresponding Secretary ; 

 Robt. Craig, Treasurer. 



Programme of the Spring Exhibition of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society of Tuscany. — It 

 is very interesting to note by this "programme" 

 in what estimation the Camellia is still held in 

 Italy. There are ten different classes or sections 

 for them, with from two to three premiums (all 

 medals) in each. In fact there are twenty-five 

 premiums for Camellias alone. 



American Forestry Association. — The meet- 

 ing in Cincinnati was a great success, viewed 

 either in point of distinguished attendance, 

 value of the papers read, and the influence which 

 the meeting will have in educating the commu- 

 nity to an appreciation of the national forestry 

 wants. In view of the general beneficial influ- 

 ence which will result, it will be perhaps fair 

 not to criticise too closely the character of many 

 of the papers read. To our mind the Forestry 

 question is a very narrow one. Everybody 

 knows that timber is of the first importance to a 

 community. Everybody wants trees planted, 

 but everybody wants somebody else to plant 

 them. 



What we want to know is, will it pay individuals 

 to plant trees? If so where and how? If it can 

 be demonstrated that it will not pay any indi- 

 vidual without State aid, what and how should 

 this aid be granted? 



In regard to existing forests, what should be 

 done to prevent forest fires? 



So far as we can learn nothing was done in 

 this practical direction. How the springs dry 

 up ; how the Chinese eat one another in punish- 

 ment for cutting away forests ; how many hun- 

 dred thousand millions of feet of boards we may 

 yet cut from our forests ; how many forest schools 

 Europe has; all these and similar topics were 

 deservedly well ventilated. A memorial to 

 Congress to establish a forestry school near 

 Minneapolis, seems to be all the official result of 

 the meeting. Another is to be held at Montreal 

 in August, a week before the meeting of the 

 American Association, when it will probably 

 turn to more practical work. 



