BOSTON AND VICINITY. 15 



ing in the open air foreign grapes and other tender 

 fruits, which now succeed only under glass. Here was 

 also a greenhouse with a choice collection of plants. 

 Some of these were obtained from the Duke of Bedford 

 and others in England through the acquaintance of Dr. 

 Francis Boott, a brother, and a celebrated botanist in 

 London. The collection of Amaryllises and Orchids was 

 the best in the country, the latter having been the first 

 attempt in New England for the culture of this tribe of 

 plants. Here forty years ago was a magnificent plant 

 of the Phaius grandiflora (Bletia Tankervillese), then a 

 rare plant. Mr. Boott gave his plants to the Hon. 

 John A. Lowell, from whence some of the Orchids 

 went to the collection of Edward S. Rand, of Dedham, 

 and to which he made large additions by importation 

 from Europe, and were finally given by him and his 

 friend James Lawrence to the Botanic Garden at Cam- 

 bridge. E. S. Rand, Jr., had an extensive collection of 

 Orchids, some of which are now in the grand collection 

 of Frederick L. Ames, at North Easton, which has been 

 by importation at great expense so much enlarged as 

 to occupy three houses for their growth, and is scarcely 

 second to any in this country. Mr. Ames is one of the 

 most enterprising and generous contributors to the ex- 

 hibitions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 having, in addition to these, a fernery, a stove, a con^ 

 servatory, two graperies, a rose house, a propagating 

 and a vegetable house. He has for years received from 

 Europe all the new and desirable plants soon after their 

 introduction. Some of his Orchids have cost from 100 

 to 180 guineas a plant. 



Other old gardens on Summer street and vicinity 

 were those of Amory, Salisbury, and of Edmund 

 Quincy, running back to Bedford street; Judge 

 Jackson's, on the corner of Bedford and Chauncy 



