GARDEN committee's REPORT. 3 



such results. In contrast, what untold enjoyment and moral and intel- 

 lectual profit would result to our citizens from a well-selected, classified 

 and well-kept collection of plants? Such collections are within the abil- 

 ity of many of our private citizens to maintain. The city is exi^ending 

 a vast sum in the formation of a magnificent driving park for the enjoy- 

 ment of the wealthier classes. Would it be deemed extravagant to spend 

 a fraction of the interest of this outlay in supporting a conservatory of 

 plants Avhich would prove a source of unalloyed pleasure and profit to 

 all classes? This appears to us to be a subject of great public interest, 

 oftering to our city the opportunity of a proud pre-eminence. Whether 

 our Horticultural Society should desire any connection with such a proj- 

 ect, is also a question worthy of careful consideration. 



Yet again, by invitation of the City Government of Boston, your 

 Committee visited the farm connected with Deer Island House of Indus- 

 try, on the 18th of October last. It does not come within the province 

 of your Committee to speak of the thorough system, the admirable order 

 and neatness which characterizes the management of the interior of the 

 establishment. Our visit was to the farm, which is also under the same 

 efficient superintendence of T. E. Payson, Esq. 



We found no extravagant outlay, but everything administered practi- 

 cally and economically. The old barns were neat and well arranged for 

 service. A large new barn is also well designed, having, as a special 

 feature, a noble cellar, for the storage of roots in vast quantities. 



The product of roots was so extraordinary that it will be interesting 

 to notice the data kindly furnished by Mr. Payson. 



During the past year there were four and one half acres devoted to 

 mangolds and sugar beets, five-sixths of which were mangolds, the whole 

 producing a gross weight of 264 tons. One measured acre of mangolds, 

 carefully weighed, yielded 73 tons, and the green tops probably would 

 have weighed five tons more. As this is undoubtedly the largest trust- 

 worthy account on record in this country, Mr. Payson has kindly fur- 

 nished your Committee with such information as it desired, and the state- 

 ment of his treatment will be valuable. It is to be regretted that the 

 limit of this report compels us to condense. 



This acre was planted with potatoes in 1863, with carrots in 1864, with 

 onions in 1865 and with mangolds in 1866, in drills two and a half feet 

 apart. Each of these years previous to 1866 it has been manured with a 

 compost of sea kelp and stable manure, at the rate of twenty cords 

 yearly. " In the autumn of 1865 as much sea- weed, recently thrown up 

 by the sea (variety Laminaria,) was ploughed in as could be covered, 

 and no manure was put on it in the spring of 1866. In this respect it 

 was differently treated from the rest of the land. It was ploughed, how- 

 ever, in the spring, and sowed in the latter part of April with four pounds 

 of seed per acre. I think every seed must have germinated, for the 



