26 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOOIETr. 



diice new ix'ars after otiiers had ceased, exhibiting the Souvenir 

 du Congii's and the Assoniption in 1873. The Weif/ela rosea was 

 exiiihited by iiis gardener in full bloom on the 19th of April, ISol, 

 and was described as an "exquisite hardy shrub." At the An- 

 nual Exhibition in 1854, Mr. Wilder showed a finely grown speci- 

 men of CissHs discolor, interesting not only for its rare beauty but 

 as the harbinger of the infinite variety of ornamental leaved 

 plants now so generally cultivated and admired. In 1874 he ex- 

 hibited the hard}' and valuable Azalea mollis. The last year of 

 Ids life he took prizes at the Annual Exhibition of this Societ}' for 

 Pears and native Grapes, and for Chrysanthemums at the Chrys- 

 anthemum Show, and at the exhibition of the Bay State Agricul- 

 tural Society he placed on the tables a hundred varieties of Pears 

 and twenty of native Grapes. 



We might go on with multiplied instances of fruits and flowers 

 introduced to our gardens by Mr. Wilder's zeal, but those men- 

 tioned must serve as specimens. He did not, however, content 

 himself with introducing the productions of others, but diligently 

 endeavored to produce improved fruits and flowers in his own 

 houses and grounds. His first attempt was with liis favorite 

 flower, the Camellia, and resulted in producing, among others, 

 those two fine varieties. Camellia Wilderi and C. Mrs. Abby 

 Wilder. These were first exhibited befo-.e the Society on the loth 

 of February, 1846. It may be of interest to mention that the 

 original plant of C. Wilderi and all the stock, except a single 

 graft, were destroyed by a fire in Mr. Wilder's greenhouse on the 

 16th of April, 1«41. The graft was remote from the hottest part 

 of the house and further protected by a sort of bell-glass, so that 

 the variety was fortunately saved. Over five hundred seedling 

 camellias in varioue stages of growth were destroyed by this fire. 

 Camellia Mrs. Abby Wilder has produced curious sports, which 

 have been made into permanent varieties by " fixing the graft." 

 One of these, Camellia Grace Sherwin Wilder, is known in England 

 as the Queen of Beauty. 



As soon as he had introduced the Japan Lilies he commenced 

 hybridizing them, and in 1846 exhibited seedlings from them. 

 May 12, 1848, he exhibited a fine seedling rhododendron, a hybrid 

 between R. campanalatam and Ji. Cataiobiense. The seedling 

 strawberry which bears his name — a cross between the Hovey 

 and La Constante — is well known as of the finest quality. Of 



