ANNUAL EXHIBITION, 1864. 339 



the bouquets and baskets of flowers. The last named 

 feature had become very attractive ; and on this occa- 

 sion there were eighteen or twenty, all contributed by 

 ladies, and some of them arranged with exquisite 

 taste. The first prize for a specimen plant was 

 awarded to Hovey & Co., for Ropala Corcovadensis ; 

 and the first and second prizes for variegated leaved 

 plants, to James Comley, for Ananassa sativa variegata 

 and Cissus discolor. 



The display of fruit surpassed expectation, it being 

 thought that the extreme drought would tell severely 

 upon the crop ; but, with few exceptions, the pears 

 were fully up to the usual standard of excellence, and 

 some surpassed it. The show of apples was limited, 

 yet some of the specimens were superb. Peach trees, 

 where healthy, produced abundantly, and there was a 

 good display of the fruit. Of foreign grapes the exhi- 

 bition was good, with some of extra quality; and in 

 native grapes the show was especially fine. W. C. 

 Strong presented a very interesting and instructive col- 

 lection of twenty-five or more varieties. The most 

 noticeable kinds were the Delaware, Rebecca, Allen's 

 Hybrid, lona, Adirondac, Framingham, Creveling, Con- 

 cord, Diana, and Isabella. Many new seedlings, includ- 

 ing the Rogers hybrids, were shown. An unusual 

 number of seedling pears were shown this year and 

 the preceding, from Dr. S. A. ShurtleiF, Frederick 

 Clapp, Francis Dana, and others. 



The show of vegetables was pronounced as good, 

 under the circumstances,' as any since the formation 

 of the Society, if, indeed, not superior to any. A 

 collection of one hundred and two named varieties of 

 beans, from Lucy H. Brewer of Hingham, a young lady 

 of thirteen, attracted much attention. 



