418 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



most desirable varieties. The rose show was without 

 doubt the best ever held by the Society. Not only did 

 the specimens offered for prizes show a great advance 

 over those of previous years, but the collections for 

 exhibition only were never so many, so large, or so 

 good. The committee reported that showing the roses 

 in boxes gave great satisfaction, and displayed their 

 beauties to much greater advantage than when they 

 were placed in bottles. The special prizes for the best 

 twelve of one variety were awarded to John C. Chaffin, 

 for Victor Verdier, and William Gray, jun., for Baron 

 Prevost. That for six of one variety was taken by 

 James Comley, with Baronne de Rothschild. A prize 

 offered by Mr. Comley for the best single Hybrid Per- 

 petual rose went to John C. Chaffin, for Charles Le 

 Febvre. The prize for the best specimen plant was 

 awarded to H. H. Hunnewell, for Pandanus Veitchii. 

 The show on the 15th of August was pronounced the 

 largest weekly exhibition ever seen certainly the 

 largest so early in the season, filling the hall to its 

 utmost capacity, and good in every department. The 

 exhibition on the 7th of October was thought the best 

 autumnal show ever made. The fruit, particularly pears, 

 was the prominent feature ; but the flowers and vegeta- 

 bles were also excellent. At the chrysanthemum exhi- 

 bition the plants were better than ever before. 



The orchids exhibited by E. S. Rand, jun., F. L. 

 Ames, and others, formed a gratifying and attractive 

 feature of the exhibitions. The committee called par- 

 ticular attention to a Cattleya exhibited by Mr. Rand 

 on the 12th of February. It was received from Hugh 

 Low & Son of London as Cattleya Trianse, but was 

 doubtless a natural seedling from that species, hybrid- 



