liEPOIiT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GARDENING. V2\) 



bergia gracilis, verbenas, &c. : while of the long, intermediate beds, 

 some were planted with colcus, edged with golden-feather; Achy- 

 ranthus Lindeni, with a centre of variegated pampas-grass, edged 

 with Dactylis glomerata var. ; Mrs. Pollock geranium, edged with 

 Lobelia pumila grandiflora; others with geraniums, where a single 

 variety was densely massed with blooms, overspreading all the 

 leaves; these, too, being bordered with gold or silver leaved gerani- 

 ums, the yellow pyrethrum, or white centaureas. The beds of 

 Gen. Grant and orbiculatum (all scarlet), and of the pink Maid of 

 Kent, were very conspicuous; and the white-edged Castlemilk and 

 Mount of Snow, and the golden Crystal-Palace Gen), were much ad- 

 mired. Of all the varieties, these are, perhaps, the most pleasing and 

 reliable. In one or two cases, fine effects were produced by placing 

 single specimen plants of the silvery centaurea in the centre of 

 beds of the dark Coleus Verschaffeltii. 



Mr. Gray's collection of geraniums was well entitled to admira- 

 tion, being of excellent kinds, and in great profusion. His list 

 embraces about a hundred and fifty varieties. Many of these 

 were planted by the side of a long walk, for easy examination, and 

 to test their value and cliaracteristics; and probably no other per- 

 son in our vicinity has devoted more study to tliese plants, or pre- 

 served a better record of their blooming, than Mr. Gray. 



His System of Annotatioj^ and Record 



is so simple and convenient, that the Committee cannot refrain from 

 describing it. 



Taking a common ruled blank-book of folio size, with double, 

 red-ink head-lines, between which are three divisions to write the 

 general headings, — namely, " IsTame of Plant," "When Plant- 

 ed," " When in Bloom," — he stretches the last-named division 

 along far towards the right, so as to cover many dates, which are to 

 be Wfitteri in from time to time as the plants come into bloom, and 

 as often as any new blooms appear. Then, leaving room on the left 

 of the page for the first two divisions (containing the name of the 

 plant and the time of planting), he rules on the rights under the 

 third heading, any number of perpendicular lines, about half an incli 

 apart, in which to make check-marks when the plants are found to 

 be in bloom. 



The names of all plants of the same genus are then successively 

 placed under the heading, " Name of Plant;" and on the line otencli 

 the time of planting is entered. Watching for the first bloom, he 

 immediately places the date of its appearance at the head of the 



