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the two succeeding years, held under a tent m the 

 Pubhc Garden or the Common, givmg ample space for 

 a grand disphiy. The year 1853 was made memorable 

 by the exhibition by John Fisk Allen, of that extraor- 

 dinary plant, the Victoria regia. The Concord grape, 

 and the Dana's Hovey and the Beurre Superfin pears, 

 were fii-st shown ; and the first Prospective Prize was 

 awarded to Hovey & Co for their seedling cherry. 

 The interest in native plants revived under the exten- 

 sive exhibitions of Dennis Murray and others. Igna- 

 tius Sargent sent several bunches of Black Hamburg 

 grapes, weighing upwards of four pounds each, and one 

 of seven pounds and a half. The first hybrid grape, 

 originated by J. F. Allen, and bearing his name, was 

 shown by him in 1854. From this time we may date 

 the interest in the improvement of native grapes, which 

 has resulted in adding so many new kinds to our cata- 

 logues. This year also was marked by the exhibition, 

 from Marshall P. Wilder, of the Cissus discolor^ one of 

 the harbingers of the endless variety of ornamental-foli- 

 aged plants now so generally cultivated and admired. 

 The American Pomological Society, in the formation of 

 which our society had been primarily instrumental, met 

 in Horticultural Hall ; and the members contributed 

 largely to the exhibition of fruits in the pavilion on the 

 Common. The Music Hall, being completed the next 

 year, commended itself as a most desirable place for 

 the Annual Exhibition, which was held there for three 

 successive years, and frequently since. In 1856 the 

 Clematis Jackmanni^ and other varieties, were shown 

 by Edward S. Rand, jun. May 2, 1857, the Deutzia 

 gracilis was shown by T. G. Whytal for the first time, 

 though it had been introduced several years before. 

 The Versaillaise currant was exhibited by W. C. Strong. 

 Messrs. Gracff" of New York sent to the Annual Exhibi- 

 tion the first Wardian cases. The society returned to 



