REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GARDENS. 325 



formation of Societies such as the Free Public Forest Association 

 in Lynn, which has been the means of preserving from devasta- 

 tion and destruction many naturally beautiful places, which by a 

 very small expenditure can be made easily accessible, and can be 

 enjoyed by thousands of our people fully as much as the park and 

 boulevard ? Let us, as the leading Horticultural Society of 

 America, do all we can to encourage village improvement societies, 

 and in every possible way promote the disposition to improve our 

 suburban towns, villages, and gardens ; let our influence be felt 

 more than ever outside the walls of this building, and let us wake 

 up fully to the high privileges and duties that belong to us as 

 members of one of the noblest educational institutions in this 

 country. 



Garden of Mrs. Mary E. Goddard. 



August 19th, the Committee, upon invitation of Mrs. Mary E. 

 Goddard, went to Hopedale to visit her garden ; and take great 

 pleasure in making their report of this visit. 



The ground comprises about twenty-five thousand feet, and is 

 devoted largely to a lawn with flower beds cut in the grass. 



Perhaps the most noticeable bed was the one on the right of the 

 walk, near the entrance. It was twenty-eight feet in length by 

 four and a half feet in width, and planted in three sections' with 

 Phlox Drummondi, — habeUina occupying the centre, with coccinea 

 and rosea at the ends. Lengthwise in the centre of the Phlox 

 Drummondi ros^ea were Blue Victoria Asters ; and similarly in the 

 coccinea, White Asters, and in the Isabdlina, Red Asters. A 

 border of Ageratum Tom Thumb surrounded the whole ; the stiff 

 woody growth of the Ageratum serving to hold the Phlox upright. 

 By this means all the plants were kept in place without any aid of 

 stakes or twine. The colors of the flowers blended harmoniously, 

 and the whole effect of this arrangement, using but a few varie- 

 ties judiciously placed, was very pleasing, aud fully proved that 

 it does not require a large expenditure of money to have a nice 

 bed of flowers tastefully arranged. 



Another bed next the wall, sixty feet long and three and a half 

 feet wide was planted with Single Dahlias, Salvia splendens, and 

 Zinnias ; with a row of Gaillardia in front, and Tropeolum Spitfire 

 running over the stone wall. 



In front of the house a circular bed was arranged with Cannas 



