REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FLOWERS. 205 



judges. A florist, a gardener, or a horticulturist is not necessarily 

 a botanist, and it seems an injustice to both the exhibitor and the 

 judges, that the Flower Committee should be compelled to judge 

 these displays. 



The Ro3^al Horticultural Society of England has its Botanical 

 Committee and why can not we also have one ? They take charge 

 of all displays of purely botanical interest and are a valuable 

 addition to the Standing Committees of the Society. Such a 

 committee might be entirely independent or act as a division of 

 the regular Flower Committee. 



The displays of Carnations on February 21 and 22, when the 

 American Carnation Society held their Annual Meeting, should be 

 mentioned, although the exhibition was not one of our own, but 

 belonged to that Society. It was a grand display of this popular 

 flower, making one wish that we might have a repetition of it 

 annually. 



On March 16, a First Class Certificate of Merit was awarded to 

 Alexander McKay, gardener to David Nevins, for superior culti- 

 vation of Hybrid Roses under glass, he having made exhibits of 

 flowers which we have never seen equalled. On the same date 

 First Class Certificates of Merit were awarded to Sewall Fisher 

 of Fraraiugham, for a beautiful white seedling Carnation, named 

 Crystal, and Fred Dorner of Lafayette, Ind., for his white 

 seedling Carnation, Storm King. These two varieties are very 

 promising and are superior to other white varieties in cultivation. 



SPRING EXHIBITION. 



March 26, 27, 28, and 29. 



At this exhibition the cut flowers were well represented and 

 were a marked improvement over last year. We were pleased to 

 note a revival of interest in forced Hybrid Roses, which were 

 almost entirely absent from our last Spring Show. There was 

 also more interest shown in the Tea Roses, of which there were 

 excellent examples of several varieties. Carnations are always 

 well represented at this show and are destined to be one of the 

 leading features of it if they receive the encouragement due so 

 beautiful a flower. 



