MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EEPORT OF THE COIMITTEE ON PLANTS AND FLOWEES, 

 For the Year 18G6. 



BY B. W. BUS-WELL, CHAIRMAN. 



The Committee on Plants and Flowers beg leave to make the follow- 

 ing Eeport: 



From the commencement of the year, to the " Opening of the Hall " 

 in May, the contributions were of course but few. Such of our friends 

 as had, from time to time, flowers of interest among the old varieties, or 

 of new and rare kinds, brought them for our consideration. We note 

 such as were deemed worthy of mention. 



On January 13th, Messrs. Hovey & Co. showed fine specimens of Big- 

 nonia venusta. 



January 20th, Jona. French brought some twenty blooms, about ten 

 varieties of Camellias. Some of the varieties were well known good 

 ones, but all seemed forced into too sudden bloom by a too high temper- 

 ature. 



January 27. Hovey & Co. : a half dozen Camellias, all seedlings, em- 

 bracing three of the favorably known Mrs. Anne Marie Hovey; all 

 perfect in form and quite dissimilar in color. 



These gentlemen favored us with small, but excellent displays of this 

 flower from day to day, until the 28th of February, when they took the 

 flrst prize for the best twelve, and thence forward, until the 28th of 

 March. 



February 3. Hovey & Co.: Gelsemium sempervirens, or Carolina 

 Jessamine, a charming evergreen climber, with light yellow tubular blos- 

 soms, quite fragrant. A desirable acquisition. 



February 10. J. McTear: a collection of Pansies, all of good form 

 and markings. 



February 17. C. M. Atkinson: Dielytra spectabilis alba, new, resem- 

 bling the old 6ne except in color, which in this specimen was a clear 

 white. Desirable as a variety. 



February 24. J. McTear: Iris reticulata, one of the bulbous species, 

 clear metallic royal purple. The outer petals with a centre of clear yel- 

 low, dotted with purple and margined with splashes of pure white. De- 

 lightfully fragrant and hardy; making it desirable as an early bloomer 

 with the Crocus, &c. 



March 28. W. C. Strong: a Zonal Pelargonium," Herald of Spring," 

 rosy scarlet, good habit, and a pleasing variety. 



April 4. G. "W. Pratt: a single truss of Clerodendron Thompsonia, a 

 wheel shaped, scarlet flower, standing out of an inflated, five sided, white 

 calyx; the filaments in turn, extending far beyond the corolla. Form of 



