38 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



should be introduced at the bottom, so as to become warmed by 

 passing over the flues, or else be introduced from another house. 

 The Phaius is a native of India, where it grows freely by the 

 watercourses. 



Mr. Hovey spoke of the interesting history of the collections of 

 Mr, Lowell and Mr. Boott. Mr. Lowell, as early as 1832 or 1834 

 exhibited the coffee plant and other rare tropical plants, as is 

 shown by the records of our exhibitions at that time. In 1838 or 

 1840 Mr. Hovey himself imported large plants of Zygopetalum 

 crinitum, which, with a Pandanus rejlexus, and other rare plants, 

 were soon after destroyed by fire. 



The president alluded to some fine specimens of the new Marie 

 Louise violet, and called for the opinions of members in regard to 

 them. 



Mr. Hovey said that for multiplicity of flowers and general com- 

 mercial purposes it was not equal to the old Neapolitan. 



Denys Zirngiebel, being called on by the president as one who 

 had large experience in the cultivation of violets, said that the Marie 

 Louise bloomed pretty well until the first of January, but now had 

 ceased altogether, while the old Neapolitan was now at its prime. 



Mr. Wilder agreed with Messrs. Hovey and Zirngiebel. 



C. B. Gardiner, the exhibitor of the Marie Louise, said that he 

 had but a few plants, and that owing to a bad season they were 

 small. With him the Marie Louise flowers earlier than the Nea- 

 politan, being now at the height of its bloom, while the Neapolitan 

 will not be for a month. He finds the dealers are willing to pay 

 more for it. 



Mr. Hovey would not be understood to condemn it. It is of a 

 little darker color than the other, but he thought dealers would not 

 pay much more for it, as the}'- would for roses. He thought it 

 might do much better in frames than in the house. The Neapoli- 

 tan has long stems, standing up well, so as to be easily gathered, 

 while the Marie Louise lays down. The latter is also subject to 

 red spider. Mr. Hovey said he was first to cultivate the new 

 variet}'^, " Czar," here ; it will not do in our warm climate. It 

 runs to foliage too much, and he has condemned it, except as a 

 garden variety, where it flowers late in autumn, 



Mr. Zirngiebel said there is a white variety of the Czar adver- 

 tised in the French journals. He cultivates the Czar in cold 



