THE PROGRESS OF ORCHID CULTURE IN AMERICA. 123 



call a convention, which, from this small beginning, ultimately 

 grew into the American Pomological Society, extending over not 

 only our own country but the British Provinces. He rejoiced that 

 he had lived to see the progress, to their present advanced position, 

 not only of our own Society but of its child, the American Pom- 

 ological Society. 



The thanks of the Society were voted to Mr. Wilder for his 

 donation. 



The following named persons, having been recommended by the 

 Executive Committee, were on ballot duly elected members of 

 the Society : — 



Nathan D. Harrington, of Somerville. 



P. M. Augur, of Middlefield, Conn. 



Prof. Charles L. Jackson, of Cambridge. 



Dr. George E. Francis, of Worcester. 



Adjourned to Saturday, March 13. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 

 The Progress of Orchid Culture in America. 



By Edwakd L. BEA.ED, Cambridge. 



As compared with the few who have a knowledge of the struc- 

 ture, formation, and habits of the wonderfully varied class of 

 plants known as Orchids, the majority have so slight if any 

 knowledge of them, that it will be proper at the outset of this 

 paper to state, as briefly as possible, the peculiar characteristics to 

 which they owe their distinct isolation from all other classes of 

 plants. While the Orchidacese are scattered throughout the world — 

 their more marked and beautiful forms being chiefly centered in a 

 belt of territory embracing the tropics, with scattering examples in 

 the temperate zones — and while the various species and their flowers 

 are marked by the strangest peculiarities of growth, form, and color, 

 its classification as a family, in a botanical sense, is due to the singu- 

 lar formation of the organs of reproduction ; which are more or 

 less the same in every species, no matter how widely separated 

 from one another as to geographical location, or as to formation 

 or color of flower, or growth of bulb or stem. These peculiarities 

 need not be stated in detail, but only in a general way, to distin- 



