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the weather, Caladium argyrites from D. M. Balch, white 

 oleander from F. Putnam, varieties of Coleus and ferns 

 from Mrs. C. Hoffman. 5th, Wednesday, Sept. 3, a very 

 large and beautiful display of German and French asters 

 from the garden of John Robinson, and a flower of the 

 AntJieoliza prealla from the Cape of Good Hope, by Alfred 

 Peabody. 6th, the annual, from Tuesday, Sept. 16th to 

 Friday, the 19th, was decidedly fine in every respect, 

 and fruit, flowers and vegetables were exhibited from all 

 parts of the county, though by far the largest portion 

 from Salem and its vicinity. The main hall and the two 

 anterooms on the first floor were used, and all the tables 

 were filled to overflowing. The hall was tastefully ar- 

 ranged and the bright tints of the beautiful flowers and 

 the bold broad or pinnated points of the tropical palms 

 placed at the entrance and down the centre of the hall, 

 produced a highly pleasing effect, which was materially 

 aided by the gentle stream of water from a miniature 

 fountain rippling over a bed of shells and stones, among 

 which were growing ferns and several aquatic plants. 

 This exhibition was, in many respects, the finest ever 

 attempted in this city or its vicinity, and for the beauty 

 of the articles shown it was superior to, and in the attend- 

 ance it exceeded, any before held under the direction of 

 the Institute. 



There have been in some previous years larger displays 

 of fruit, but rarely a show which combined so much that 

 was interesting and attractive, and never one where there 

 had been gathered so fine a collection and variety of 

 plants. The fruit exhibited, especially of pears, was 

 characterized by general and uniform excellence of qual- 

 ity and appearance rather than by mammoth growth or 

 other exceptional peculiarities. Some very fine speci- 

 mens of the St. Michael pear suggested the possibility of 



