THE CANADIAN HOKTiCULTUIilST. 63 



{)lace so attractive in early winter ninst be a perfect paradise in the 

 summer season. 



The 20th and 21st were spent in Philadelphia, where, under the 

 guidance of Mr. C. H. Miller, landscape gardener at Fairmount Park, 

 I was privileged to see the many improvements which have heen 

 made in that beautiful place since the memorable exhibition of 1876. 

 On visiting Horticultural Hall one is at once impressed with the change 

 which has taken place in the interior of that handsome'building, con- 

 sequent on the luxuriant development of the beautiful Palms, Tree 

 Ferns, and other exotics during the past two years. Many of the 

 specimens are now truly magnificent, and occupy so much space that 

 others of lesser moment have gradually been removed. 



In the grounds surrounding the hall the change is even greater ; 

 some portions have been and others are now being entirely remodelled. 

 There was so much hurry and rush in preparing for the great exhxibition 

 that it was scarcely possible to carry out any well digested plan, and 

 hence space was given to different nurserymen and florists to decorate 

 as they thought best. Now, the whole is being worked up in a syste- 

 matic manner ; plants, shrubs and trees belonging to the same families 

 arranged in groups in their natural order, great care being given to 

 selecting those locations wheie each will show to the best advantage. 

 In one section there is a large Pinetum where all the conifera are 

 being grouped, in another the Oaks find a place, and so on with the 

 various species of Ash, Birch, Beech, Maple, &c. A similar arrange- 

 ment is also being carried out with the herbaceous plants, the 

 Ranunculacea are in one section by themselves, and so with the 

 CompositcB, Crucrferoi, &c. But since in some of the families the 

 plants comprising them are inconspicuous, it has been found necessary 

 to introduce occasionally for the sake of effect a group of flowering 

 shrubs or evergreens to relieve what would otherwise become monoto- 

 nous. Hence there is in these instances a sort of double plan, but 

 this will not be a matter of inconvenience as it does not interfere wuth 

 the natural grouping of the different families. There are also some 

 prominent points which are necessarily devoted to purely ornamental 

 purposes; these are filled in season with bedding plants of various 

 sorts; and with a view to protlucing permanent effects the year through 

 a number of the beds are supplied with groups of the most beautiful 

 evergreens, especially the Eetinosporas and some of the prettiest of the 



