report of committee on gardens. 223 



Dr. Charles S. Minot's Peony Garden, Milton. 



Dr. Minot's peony garden, which is undoubtedly .the finest 

 private collection of peonies in New England, was again offered 

 in competition, and again found worthy of the first prize offered by 

 the Society. 



^Little need be added to the previous reports of visits to this 

 noteworthy garden except to say that the peonies are all labeled 

 with metal plates on a rod, giving the name of the variety, the date, 

 and from whom the plant was obtained. 



Morton F. Plant's Estate, Groton, Conn. 



August 9 the committee inspected the estate of Morton F. Plant 

 at Groton, Connecticut, now in its third and last year of entry 

 for the H. H. Hunnewell Triennial Premium. 



Mr. Craig, a member of the visiting committee, has kindly 

 furnished the following notes concerning the estate. 



"Many important changes have been made since the commit- 

 tee's visit of last year. Considerable additional land has been 

 cleared of rocks, trenched, graded, and planted. (Some of the 

 largest rocks we w-ere pleased to note had been retained, and 

 materially add to the picturesqueness of the place). 



A number of large trees have been successfully moved with 

 frozen balls during the past winter, including gingko, purple beech, 

 maple, and white birch, also a few evergreens of specimen size. 

 These assist in giving the new grounds a more finished appearance. 



The flower garden was very attractive, the herbaceous perennials 

 especially so. A collection of fifty varieties of sweet peas was in 

 excellent bloom and included all the newest and most up-to-date 

 sorts. In the greenhouses splendid crops of grapes, peaches, and 

 nectarines were noted. Everything on the place was in fine con- 

 dition and the visiting members of the committee are pleased to 

 report favorably on this great estate and to commend the able 

 management of the superintendent, Thomas W. Head." 



