REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANTS. 193 



August 10, The Botanic Garden of Harvard University 

 exhibited a plant of Agave KercJiovei, with flower stem nineteen 

 feet high — quite a curiosity. Nicholson's " Dictionary of Gar- 

 dening," says that the flower is unknown. Awarded a gratuity. 



ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 



September 4 and 5. 



There was no exhibit of Hardy Coniferous Trees. Your Com- 

 mittee have thought it advisable to increase the prizes as they 

 were too small to induce growers to handle them. It is hoped the 

 coming season, with the larger prizes, to have a creditable show. 

 This exhibition was again notable for the absence of Greenhouse 

 plants, such as Palms, Aralias, Cycads, Ferns, etc., in groups. 

 For the six plants and single specimens there were the usual 

 competitors. 



Mrs. Frederick L. Ames exhibited a beautiful plant of Sopliro- 

 Loelia Veitchii, for which a Silver Medal was awarded ; also a 

 plant of Cypripedium Miss Ames, a new hybrid, which received 

 a First Class Certificate of Merit. 



October 19, Rea Brothers exhibited a plant of Scabiosa Cau- 

 casica var. alba, a new perennial said to be hardy ; if it proves so 

 it will be quite an acquisition. It received the award of Honor^ 

 able Mention. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM EXHIBITION. 



November 5, 6, 7, and 8. 



In commenting on this exhibition your Committee would say 

 that while the plants were grand and were the best ever seen in 

 these halls, and perhaps as good as any seen on the other side of 

 the ocean, they must deprecate the use of superfluous stakes and 

 in order to further their disuse your Committee have offered three 

 prizes for plants grown to a single stem, with bushy tops, and 

 without the aid of stakes, hoping by this means to bring into the 

 market a class of plants more suitable for table and window 

 decoration. The varieties in the collection from Nathaniel T. 



