356 Notes and Gleanings. 



very large and very double, as large and as double apparently as a medium-sized 

 dahlia. I happened to see double zinnias before in Europe when they were first 

 produced, and have subsequently seen those in America that were considered 

 fiue ; but these were very far superior to any that I have ever before seen. 



The dahlias made a beautiful show. Although there were a good many of 

 these flowers, they would not, perhaps, be considered as very numerous in pro- 

 portion to the extent of the exhibition. But, if there was a deficiency in the 

 quantity, there was none in the quality, of the flowers : these seemed to me 

 as near perfection as possible. They were of all colors, from pure white to 

 the darkest crimson ; and, besides selfs, there were some tipped, striped, or varie- 

 gated : they were very double, of perfect form, with no depression in the centre, 

 but a complete circle, making a magnificent show. A pure white, a light yellow, 

 and a bright scarlet, struck me as especially beautiful even where all were fine. 



But the flowers that at this show most excited my admiration, were, I think, 

 the gladioli. They were very numerous, entirely filling a good-sized house ; and, 

 the bottles in which the flower-stalks were inserted being sunk in the ground up 

 to their neck, the flowers appeared as if growing in a bed. They were of every 

 hue, and shade of color, that the gladioli ever assumes ; and many were distin- 

 guished by the most beautiful and delicate marks or pencillings, that in the 

 bright sunshine made a most gorgeous show. Many of the flowers were new, 

 blossoming for the first time the past season. Until I saw them on this occa- 

 sion, I had no idea of the number of the different varieties of this flower. I can 

 remember when the introduction into our gardens of the G. Psittacina — a variety 

 that would not now, I suppose, be admitted into any good collection — made quite 

 a sensation ; but I was not aware, until I saw it here, of the very great improve- 

 ment that had been made since then in this flower. 



Tlie vegetables were very fine, and in great abundance ; but I was unable to 

 give to them more than a very slight and imperfect examination : indeed, it was 

 only a portion of them that I saw at all. One part of them that I did see was a 

 house completely filled with specimens of diff"erent varieties of the potato, shown 

 in dishes, five or six specimens of each to a dish. I do not imagine that there 

 were as many varieties as dishes, but, on the contrary, suppose that many were 

 duplicates or triplicates of others. Yet, making all allowance, I find that the 

 number of varieties of this vegetable is vastly greater than 1 had supposed it 

 to be. 



This show lasted several days ; indeed, until the decay of the fruit and some 

 other of the articles exhibited brought to a termination the largest exhibition 

 of this kind, that, as I think and believe, has ever been made. 



Jan. 30, 186S. Joseph S. Cabot. 



Potato-Growing in Maine. — The State of Maine is one of the largest 

 potato-producing States m the Union ; many hundred thousand bushels being 

 raised annually, and exported to Western and Southern markets. The greatest 

 potato-shipping depots in the State are Bangor, Portland, and Belfast ; and, dur- 

 ing their season, vessels are loaded and sail daily, bound to ports all along-shore 

 from Boston to New Orleans. The average price in this market, Belfast, has 



