GARDEN committee's REPORT. 79 



There they saw, probably the best boi-cler o^ the Alternayithera amahilis 

 in the country. This beautiful border plant was first introduced by 

 him into this section of the country, and through him its merits have 

 chiefly become known. Here, too, one of the finest displays of Japan 

 Lilies was seen. When, some years ago, he announced that he had 

 successfully impregnated the Lilium lancifoUum with L. tigrinum, this 

 hybrid experiment was either doubted or regarded as a freak rather 

 than a law of nature : but Col. Wilder exhibited to your Committee full 

 pods of the same crossing, this year; and, what much surprised your 

 Committee, a perfectly successful impregnation of the Japan Lily by the 

 Oloriosa superba! The seeds did not vegetate till the second year, 

 coming up, indeed, but growing very slowly. All doubts, therefore, 

 must give way to these established facts. There they saw, also, the 

 original tree of the Ahhy Wilder Camellia, ten feet high, still in a 

 condition to yield its blooms of beauty. While partaking of his hos- 

 pitality and tasting his wines, a discussion arose as to the merits of the 

 Ives' Seedling as a red wine grape, and it may not be amiss to add, 

 that after careful trial and comparison, the Committee was unanimously 

 of opinion that the Ives' Seedling was fairly entitled to all the praise 

 bestowed upon it. The flavor is rich and fruity, and it compares well 

 with the best European brands. 



To Col. Wilder the Committee return their thanks for his kindness, 

 and award to him a gratuity of twenty dollars for his successful 

 axperiments with lilies. 



DocT. Lodge's Orchards. 



Doct. Lodge having invited the Committee to examine his apple 

 orchard and grounds at Swampscott, they visited that place in Septem- 

 ber. Here they found the most perfect example of the wine-glass type 

 of apple-pruning to be seen in Massachusetts. Every tree, and almost 

 every limb showed the persevering care and personal attention of the 

 master-spirit, and had shape according to his pattern: but many of the 

 trees, although beautiful in figure and carefully watched, had evidently 

 seen severe times on the coast, and a few indicated suffering. Some, 

 indeed, showed excellent fruitage, and in all, the theories peculiar to 

 their trainer were carried out thoroughly and persistently. It is 

 always, however, a hard experiment to produce good fruit trees where 

 the sea-storms strike directly on them. The apple brchard is curious 

 and well worth seeing, but the pear trees had not an encouraging 

 aspect. Strawberries were in fine order and well cultivated, and the 

 vegetable garden was good. Here was an ingenious method of draining, 

 by siphon, a rock-bound swale, and converting it into rich meadow, but 

 the pruning experiment under such difficulties cannot yet be deemed a 



