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ANNUAL EXHIBITrON. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. 



The Nineteenth Annual Exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society 

 took place at the Society's Hall, School street, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 

 September 22d, 23d, and 24th, 1847. The Committee of Arrangements entrusted with its 

 management, respectfully submit their Report. The Exhibition, as a whole, was a very 

 good one, but different in its general features from all foiTner ones. There was a deficiency 

 of Plants in Pots, from the Green-House and Conservatory, which always diminishes the 

 general beauty and characteristic effect of these displays. Whether this is owing to 

 a want of encouragement in Ahe way of premiums, or other causes, is not known. The 

 Committee hope for an improvement in this department on future anniversaries. The 

 Dahlias and Asters were excellent, the former quite numerous in new varieties and in 

 the perfection of their blooms. The other Cut Flowers and small Bouquets were not as 

 abundant as at many of the Weekly Exhibitions. The large Bouquets for the Marble and 

 Bradlee Vases, by Messrs. Hovey & Co., Nugent, and Warren, were very showy and well 

 made with fine Flowers and fresh Evergreens. The large Moss and Flower Designs by 

 Mr. Quant, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Walker, and a Floral Bower, by Mr. McNeil, with a fountain 

 and gold fish, were chaste and pretty. The Wreaths by Messrs. Quant, Walker and 

 Bowditch were beautiful and well made. The Flower Baskets by Miss Russell and the 

 Designs composed of our beautiful native grasses by Miss Bowker and Mrs. Sparrell, and 

 a Moss Vase ornamented with the acorn and snowdrop, by " Fanny Forrester," were 

 chaste and attracted much attention. The variety of Vegetables was not numerous, but 

 nearly all the specimens were good. Mr. Cole presented thirty distinct varieties of 

 Potatoes, fifteen of which were seedlings, which entitle that gentleman to a particular 

 notice in the Vegetable Report. The display of Fruits was decidedly the best and most 

 abundant in specimens ever made by the Society. The Apples were fair, of good size, 

 well colored, and fine in flavor. The variety of Peaches and Quinces was small, and 

 all but one or two of the samples quite ordinary. There were some excellent specimens 

 of Plums. In Grapes the varieties were more numerous, and the quality more delicious 

 and better matured than on any former occasion. 



Mr. Needham was the successful competitor, his Canon Hall Muscats were larger in 

 bunch and berry, than any ever before shown. Mr. Allen had the largest number of 

 specimens, all of which were fine. The Wilmot's Black Hamburg, by Messrs. Hovey, 

 were extra fine and well ripened, and the collections of Messrs. Young, Donald and 

 Towne were very good. 



The great feature of the exhibition was the array of Pears, which was undoubtedly the 

 most valuable ever made in this country. The majority of the specimens were rather 

 above their average in size, fair, highly colored, well marked in feature, and in good 

 quality. About fifty new variefies of Pears have been fruited for the first time in this 

 country, and it is believed that many of them will prove to be valuable acquisitions, and 

 will hereafter take rank in classes numbers one and two. The new varieties were mostly 

 in the large collections of Col. Wilder, Mr. Manning, and Hovey & Co. The contributions 

 of fruits particularly worthy of special reference were those from the Pomological Gardens 

 of Mr. Manning, of Salem, who had two hundred and fiftyfive varieties of Pears ; Col. 

 Wilder, one hundred and sixty; Hovey & Co., seventy, more than half of which were 

 new ; Josiah Lovett, about eighty ; Samuel Walker, sixty ; Otis Johnson, Lynn, sixty ; 

 Winships, Brighton, forty; Mr. Allen, Salem, Grapes, Pears, Peaches and Figs; Mr. 

 Warren, Brighton, Grapes, Apples, and Pears ; J. Stickney, Peaches, Pears and Apples ; 

 B. V. French, Braintree, sixtysix varieties of Apples; Cheever Newhall, Pears; E. M, 

 Richards, Dedham, Apples ; F. W. Macondray, Pears ; S. Pond, extra fine Williams's Bon 



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