460 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



besides a great variety of conifers, and miscellaneous 

 plants from every part of the known world. Among 

 the cut flowers the dahlia was shown transformed into 

 globular shape, and not less improved in variety and 

 richness of coloring; while of the gladiolus, which in 

 1829 was entirely unknown, thousands of seedlings 

 were shown, surpassing even the dahlia in variety and 

 gayety of coloring. We have no direct means of esti- 

 mating the improvement in the growth of plants in 1873 

 as compared with 1829 ; but from occasional notices, 

 some of which are quoted in the preceding chapters, 

 we may conclude that it was commensurate with the 

 increase in the variety of flowers and plants exhibited. 



Of the fruits the pears first attract our attention ; and, 

 though the language of the first report implies that 

 several varieties were exhibited by more than one con- 

 tributor, the only kind named as generally grown is 

 the Bartlett. But in 1874 we find the larger haU of the 

 Society filled with pears and grapes, the former in the 

 finest varieties and specimens, those offered for prizes 

 numbering four hundred and twenty-five dishes of twelve 

 specimens each. It is true that the number of varieties 

 was small as compared with those shown in some pre- 

 vious years ; but it must be remembered that the only 

 object of those great collections was to ascertain and 

 select the most deserving for general cultivation, and that 

 the collections shown in 1874 were the representatives 

 and results of the zeal exhibited in former years to test 

 every known variety. Of native pears the Fulton and 

 Gushing are the only ones mentioned in 1829 (though 

 the Seckel l must certainly have been shown) ; and 



1 The Seckel pear, according to Downing, was known in 1765. It was 

 introduced to cultivation before 1817, having been described by Coxe in that 



