FLOWER committee's REPORT. 21 



EEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANTS AND ELOWEES, 



For the Year 1868. 



BY J. C. HOVEY, CHAIRMAN. 



Seldom has there been a more vinfavorable season for the Floral 

 Department than the one just past. The Spring months were cold and 

 rainy. This was followed by excessive drought, from the first of .Tuly 

 to the middle of August. On the 18th of September we were visited by 

 a heavy frost, which, in many localities, completely killed Salvias, Helio- 

 tropes, Double Zinnias, and other tender plants. This was followed, on 

 the 17th of October, by a snow storm and black frost, which was so 

 severe as to even kill Chrysanthemums. The remainder of the season 

 has been cold, without a single day of Indian Summer. Notwith- 

 standing all these drawbacks, the exhibitions have been generally 

 good. 



The principal contributors of Cut Flowers, during the season, were, 

 Francis Parkman, Hovey & Co., J. McTear, J. McLarin, George 

 Craft, C. B. Brigham. James IvTugent and J. E. Westgate. Those 

 exhibited by Francis Parkman were particularly worthy of mention, 

 both for the taste shown in arrangement and quality of Flowers exhib- 

 ited. One of the best guarantees of this is the fact that they received 

 the first premium thirteen times during the season. 



Baskets of Flowers, though not as numerous as last year, have been 

 generally better arranged. The deficiency in number no doubt was 

 owing to the bad weather on exhibition days. 



Native Plants have been exhibited by some five different contributors; 

 but as the By-Laws of the Society restrict the awarding of Premiums 

 to any except members, Gratuities had to be substituted in their stead 

 in all except one instance. 



Special Premiums. — But three of the liberal Premiums offered for 

 Boses by Vice President H. H. Hunnewell, and published in the Schedule 

 for two successive years, were awarded. The first, for the best collection 

 of forty varieties of Hardy Perpetuals, was awarded to J. C. Chaffin. 

 The second, for the best thirty Hardy Perpetuals, to Francis Parkman. 

 Both these collections were excellent; and we doubt whether better 

 specimens for size, form, and brilliancy of color can be shown else- 

 where. The third award was for Basket or Yase of Eoses. This 

 was awarded to W. Wales & Co., for Yase of Tender Eoses, which was 



