O MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



habit. Etoile de Nord, Fair Oriana, and Souvenir de Chiswick are most 

 decided acquisitions. The chief contributors have been H. H. Ilunnewell, 

 William C. Strong, and Thomas G. Whytal. 



Calceolarias have shown no decided marks of improvement, and the same 

 may be said of Cinerarias, if we except a few new seedling^s not yet proved. 



The displays of new greenhouse plants have been limited, but great pro- 

 gress has been made in fine specimen plants. Cissus discolor seems well 

 adapted for a specimen, and very well trained plants have been shown by 

 H, H. Hunnewell, and Messrs. Hovey. 



Hyacinths were very good, and were displayed in variety by Joseph Breck, 

 and R. M. Copeland. 



Tulips were good, better than in former years, but there is much room for 

 improvement. 



Pansies were inferior to last year. 



Of Hawthorns and Hardy Azaleas, the display was small. 



Shrubby Pseonies were fine; there is but little progress made, the exhibi- 

 tion being about the same year after year, but always good. 



Some new and showy varieties of Herbaceous Pseonies have been exhibi- 

 ted by Messrs. Hovey, Wilder, and Breck ; the show was fully equal to any 

 of previous years. 



Aquilegias were inferior ; the flowers are not as fine as those shown a 

 few years ago ; and too little attention is paid to this beautiful flower. 



Pinks have not improved ; there is too little marked diflference in varie- 

 ties, too little variety in the blooms ; in the prize stands of the present 

 year, containing each six named varieties, it would have been difficult to 

 have selected two blooms bearing well defined distinguishing marks. 



Herbaceous plants have in general done well, but we notice little new. 



Spirseas have been displayed in great variety ; S. callosa Fortunii is a very 

 valuable acquisition. Summer and Autumn Phloxes have been very fine ; 

 some new varieties have been introduced ; and fine seedlings exhibited by 

 Samuel Walker. There seems to exist a great confusion between the early 

 and late blooming varieties ; a difficulty of distinguishing them exists which 

 we hope soon to see remedied. 



Carnations and Picotees have been very good ; the best have been shown 

 by W. J. Underwood, and Messrs. Hovey. 



Rhododendrons have been shown in great variety ; attention seems to 

 be awakened to this beautiful class of plants, and we have great hopes that 

 the future will show great improvements. 



Hollyhocks have been very fine and bid fair to become a popular flower. 



Balsams were very poor. 



A fine collection of Petunias was shown by the Messrs. Hovey. 



Annuals have in dry soils done well, but as a general thing the season 

 has been too wet. There were no Antirrhinums exhibited which, as a col- 

 lection, are worthy of special notice ; some individual spikes of bloom were 

 very good. In the cultivation and attention paid to this flower, there seems 

 to be a retrograde movement. 



Asters were about as good as on previous years. Some beautiful little 



