FLOWER committee's REPORT. 13 



blooms ; the garden is the proper place to exhibit it, on spikes. The chief 

 contributors have been B. K. Bliss, Antane Apple, Wm. C. Strong, and 

 F. Winship. 



Balsams have been inferior, even poorer than last year, a retrograde 

 movement by no means necessary, and very discreditable to exhibitors. 



Petunias have greatly improved. A year ago the only double variety we had 

 was the white, (P. imperialis), and now the number can scarcely be counted ; 

 some are very fine, but of course many of dull colors, poor form and 

 inferior. Great credit is due to Martin Traut.man for his new double seedlings, 

 ■which are worthy of general dissemination : we regret we have not speci- 

 mens, so as to describe them more fully. A very novel and beautiful single 

 variety has been raised by Charles Copeland ; it is one of the most remark- 

 able and striking flowers we have seen, and in a mass must present a fine 

 appearance ; we regret we can give no description. The largest show of 

 varieties iias been made by Hovey & Co. 



Annuals have done better than in former years ; the display of Messrs. 

 Hovey was very fine, and embraced many new varieties. 



Antirrhinums have been very poor. 



Asters were far better than on former years ; all the stands shown for 

 premium were so very fine that the Committee found great difficulty in 

 awarding the prizes ; and after determining the prize stands, of the ten 

 rejected, any one was far superior to the best of last year. 



Though increased and liberal premiums were offered for Stocks, none 

 ■were shown worthy of the prizes ; the Committee trust another year to 

 make a more encouraging report. 



Verbenas were good, though a heavy rain the day before the exhibition 

 somewhat damaged the colors of the flowers. 



A few seedlings were shown, of which a white variety with dark eye, 

 a chance seedling of James Nugent's, somewhat in the way of Vicomtesse 

 Emylin, bids fair to be the most valuable ; the silver medal was awarded 

 to a seedling exhibited by G. G. Hubbard. 



Gloxinias. Magnificent imported varieties have been shown by Wm. 

 C. Strong, to whom the first prize was awarded ; fine cut blooms of the 

 erect flowering varieties have also been exhibited by him during the season. 

 The second prize was awarded to Edward S. Rand, for fine varieties, 

 mostly new. The silver medal for the best new seedling, to the same 

 exhibitor, for Gloxinia Mrs. Becker, a superb variety. 



Gladiolus were very far superior to those of last year ; a description of a 

 few of the newer and finer varieties will be given in this Report. There 

 is no bulb which has improved more or made more advances towards 

 popular favor. The chief exhibitors have been Jos. Breck, Edward S. 

 Rand, Barnes & Washburn, Messrs. Hovey, Antane Apple, and James 

 Nugent. 



Chrysanthemums were shown both in pots and in trusses ; the kinds 

 were mostly pompone, the larger varieties being less popular ; the plants 

 in pots were not well grown, and not in as profuse bloom as could have 



