22 MASSACHUSETTS HOETICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



superb specimens which have been shown at our exhibitions from year 

 to year, presenting the greatest variety of color, from crimson to the 

 purest white. Nor is it for exhibition purposes alone that it is 

 chiefly valuable ; for the amateur, who does not grow plants for ex- 

 hibition, but wishes to keep his greenhouse or conservatory blight 

 with flowers through winter and spring, nothing answers the pur- 

 pose so well as the azalea. With a little careful management, by 

 either forcing or retarding, it maj^ be had in bloom from January to 

 June. May we not hope that the many florists and amateurs who 

 are making a specialt}' of the azalea maj- be induced to contribute 

 even more liberally in the future than in the past to oin- exliibitions ? 



Cinerarias. — The only exhibitor was C. M. Atkinson, who 

 brought six well grown specimen plants. It is surprising that such 

 beautiful and showy plants, which present a great variety- of color, 

 and so well repay the grower for the time and trouble taken to 

 produce them, should receive so little attention. 



Polyanthus. — No better plants have ever been shown than tlie 

 six from C. M. Atkinson. The polyanthus is one of our best 

 spring flowering plants, and should be in ever}' collection. 



Pansies — Six well gi'own pots were shown bj- C. M. Atkinson, 

 May 6th ; also dishes of Odier and French pansies by D. Zirngie- 

 bel, and several dishes by various other contributors. 



Amaryllis. — The premiums offered have so far failed to draw 

 any competition, but at diflferent times during the early part of the 

 season some very fine plants, as well as cut flowers, were shown. 

 Francis Putnam, who is quite an enthusiast over this beautiful 

 plant, has exhibited a veiy good lot of seedlings, mostly varieties 

 of vittata. While all were worth}^ of cultivation veiy few were 

 distinct from the many named varieties we already have. One ex- 

 ception we must mention — a very fine seedling, exhibited b}- Mr. 

 Putnam on the 19th of Februar}- ; the flower was very large, color 

 cherry scarlet, veined with white, each petal having a broad white 

 stripe through the centre. It was awarded a First Class Certiflcate 

 of Merit. Mr. Putnam also exhibited Amar3ilis Baj-ard, Phoebus, 

 Mrs. Kimball, and Johnsonii. 



From J. B. Moore we have had well grown plants of Ariemesia, 

 Cleopatra, Regina, Aurora, Bayard, and Halfordii. 



Pelargoniums. — The special prize day was May 13th, and the 

 exhibition was one of the best ever made. Although the plants 

 were hardly equal to those shown last season, they still made a very 



