204 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



represent a New England State ! But it seems possible that a 

 similar mistake may be committed one hundred years hence. Mrs. 

 Wolcott made an earnest appeal to those present to be interested 

 early and make their plans in season to be ready to aid in assuring 

 the success of the next great exhibition. As to the planting of the 

 fair grounds of which Mr. Stewart had spoken, she said it afforded 

 her great satisfaction to find that no elephants, or other equally 

 uncouth designs in clipped, colored foliage plants, had been intro- 

 duced upon Ihe lawns. Although Chicago is a long distance for 

 our decorative planters to travel to make a garden, that part of 

 the work for the great exhibition should also have been commenced 

 a year earlier than it was. Did one competent person take a 

 hand in it then? 



Mr. Stewart hoped no one would construe his criticisms of the 

 absence of color in the planting at Chicago, as an approval of 

 elephants or other grotesque designs in colored foliage plants. 

 His remarks had reference principally to the planting of the 

 Wooded Island, where the opportunity afforded for the tasteful 

 use of various grasses, sedges, etc., had been taken advantage of 

 to the fullest extent, but he thought the beautiful effect might 

 have been greatly enhanced by the introduction of hardy flowering- 

 plants, in masses of bright color. Some go too far in advocating 

 the absence of color. Nature does not do this. 



Mrs. Wolcott remarked that if she could have transported her 

 ditch garden to a similar part of the Wooded Island, she thought 

 it would have proved an attractive success. That Island was 

 made during the winter, and only plants that could endure the 

 winter could be early planted on it. She liked to see and greatly 

 enjoyed the beauty of all varieties of plant colors, but only when 

 the plants were growing in their natural ways and forms. 



Thomas L. Harrison asked if Mr. Stewart preferred any colors 

 in particular; if he did not like to see flowers of scarlet, blue, 

 etc. 



Mr. Stewart replied that almost any color will harmonize with 

 white or green, provided the surroundings do not interfere. For 

 instance, if one were planting grounds beside a red brick building, 

 scarlet would not do there. The idea that bhie will not harmonize 

 with green is erroneous, at least where that green is foliage. 

 Every blue flower is provided by Nature with a setting of green 

 leaves, yet we see no lack of luirmony. 



