BOSTON AND VICINITY. 19 



This was a place of great attraction for the public 

 until its destruction by fire, when the entire collection 

 was lost. The following extract is from a Boston paper 

 of that date, and will give some idea of its character : 



" THE CONSERVATORY. We advise our friends who are as usual 

 seeking amusement during the Christmas holidays, not to omit look- 

 ing in at the Public Conservatory. There are above one thousand 

 Camellia Japonica plants, some of the largest now in full splendor, 

 and others on the point of bursting their beautiful buds. Among 

 them are at least twenty full grown trees, ten to thirty 3 T ears old. 

 It is well known that the former possessor of this superb collection 

 of Camellias, Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester, spared neither 

 pains nor expense to procure the finest plants from the justly cele- 

 brated nurseries in Europe, and that the most recent and most 

 highly estimated seedling varieties are comprised in it. But it is 

 not too well known that one of his motives for disposing of this 

 collection to the societj-, at a great pecuniary sacrifice to himself, 

 was the desire that his fellow-citizens might conveniently and fre- 

 quently enjoy the pleasure of viewing it. It is calculated that 

 during the next five or six weeks, several thousand Camellia 

 blossoms will expand, hundreds are now in full bloom, and contrast 

 beautifully with the dark glossy foliage. Several of the Acacia 

 tribe, the pride of the Flora of New South Wales, are likewise in 

 beaut}*, as is also the fine Poinsettia pulcherrima, named in compli- 

 ment to our minister in Mexico, Mr. Poinset! , who sent it thence 

 to Charleston in 1828, whence it found its way to Europe. This 

 plant was presented by the Hon. John Lowell, of Roxburj 7 . We 

 are also informed that the society has recently received ten or twelve 

 cases of plants from Rio Janeiro, containing about one hundred 

 varieties of the curious air plants now attracting so much attention 

 in Europe ; most of these are beginning to vegetate in a small stove 

 erected for this purpose below ; these will, no doubt, be exhibited 

 in the Conservatory as they come into flower. We trust the public 

 will not fail liberally to support this establishment, which, although 

 now in its infancy, promises to become the pride and ornament of 

 this wealthy and polished city." 



Among the plants destroyed was one whose history 

 may be noted. It was a large, Double White Camellia, 

 rooted from a cutting by Dr. Dixwell, in his study, now 



