428 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



The annual exhibition was one of the very best ever 

 held : the plants had never been better, and the superb 

 specimens from H. H. Hunnewell had never been 

 equalled. The central feature of this collection was a 

 magnificent specimen of Musa superba, a species which 

 had never been exhibited here before. The other plants 

 exhibited by Mr. Hunnewell, which took the prize for 

 the best twelve, were Alocasia macrorhiza variegata, 

 A. metallica, Bromelia sceptrum, Croton Johannis, C. 

 Youngi, C. Weismanni, Dieffenbachia Bausei, Eurya 

 latifolia var., Ficus Parcellii, Hydrangea speciosa, Ma- 

 ranta Van den Heckei, and Martenezia Lindeniana. 



Orchids were not exhibited this year in as large num- 

 bers as in some previous seasons ; but some good plants 

 were shown, among which was the Cypripedium Domin- 

 ianum, a hybrid raised by Mr. Dominy, gardener to 

 James Veitch & Sons. The committee regretted that 

 the liberal premiums offered for spring flowering bulbs 

 had failed to draw out the competition hoped for. The 

 cinerarias from J. W. Merrill on the 17th of February 

 were the best shown for ten years ; and the calceolarias 

 from the same gentleman, on the 14th of April, were 

 unusually fine. The show of rhododendrons, though 

 not as extensive as in some previous years, was one of 

 the best ever held by the Society, and the stands of new 

 and choice varieties from H. H. Hunnewell were by 

 far the best ever shown. Native plants were shown in 

 larger quantities than for several seasons, and comprised 

 interesting and instructive exhibits from Byron D. Hal- 

 sted of fungi (some of which were growing upon 

 plants), lichens, grasses, sedges, sea-weeds, carnivorous 

 plants, and wild plants in fruit, all carefully named. 

 On the 20th of June George E. Davenport exhibited 



