12 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Fine displays of Cut Flowers were made by Hovey & Co. ; Geo. W. Pratt ; 

 Evers and Comley; James McTear; Thomas Walsh; Joseph Breck ; Mrs. 

 Benj. Bruce; Cambridge Botanic Garden; and James Nugent. 



Saturday, June 1st. Fine specimens of Dodocatheon media (seedlings) were 

 shown by Wm. E. Carter; also a bouquet of herbaceous plants. 



A collection of Tree or Shrubby Paeonies, from Mar&hall P. Wilder, con- 

 tained good flowers, but nothing new. 



A fine display of Rhodora canadensis was made by Edward S. Rand. This 

 beautiful native flowering shrub is not common in the vicinity of Boston, but 

 more to the north the fields are often purple for a week in spring with its fra- 

 grant flowers. The specimens shown varied in color from white to deep 

 purple. It is a plant easily cultivated in moist peat earth, and is one of our 

 most ornamental native shrubs. 



Saturday, June 8th. From Evers and Comley: Begonia argeritea, do. Gan- 

 davensis; Aralia albidus; Lantana Ninon d' Onclos ; Pleroma Benthamiana; 

 Thrysicanthus rutilans ; Nephrodium molle corymbiflorum ; Gloxinea carnea. 

 A fine display of cut flowers. 



James McTear exhibited a good specimen of Petunia Excelsior, and a variety 

 of cut flowers. 



Displays of cut flowers were made by Joseph Breck, Marshall P. Wilder, 

 Mrs. Benj. Bruce, Thos. Walsh, E. A, Story, Wm. C. Strong, Wm. E. Carter, 

 Walker & Co., John A. Kenrick, and others. 



Some very well executed specimens of wax flowers were shown by Madam 

 Miel ; the specimens of wax-work usually shown at our exhibitions have been 

 false to nature, clumsy in execution, and badly colored. To this censure we 

 can remember but one exception during the last six years. The flowers made 

 by Madam Miel are coirect in formj and were by many mistaken for natural 

 flowers ; the only fault was a slight defect in coloring, caused by not having 

 fresh flowers to copy from. This will be remedied in future, as some of our 

 florists will furnish Madam Miel with specimens. We cannot but commend 

 to all this pretty employment, and to florists and amateurs we would especially 

 sucrgest this mode of preserving copies of rare flowers. The Committee unani- 

 mously awarded a silver medal to Madam Miel for the flowers now and pre- 

 viously exhibited. 



In the collection of Wm. C. Strong we noticed several fine new Tree 

 Pseonies. Also a new herbaceous pseony, color rosy salmon. 



Marshall P. Wilder and Joseph Breck exhibited for the first time blooms of 

 the new tree Paeony Elizabeth. We also noticed in the stand of the former a 

 fine variety Roi Leopold. They are thus described: — 



Tree Pseony Elizabeth. Flower very large, full and double ; outer petals 

 regular, interior confused but very close ; form almost globular ; color rich rosy 

 red, shading from light rose to deep purple at base of the petals ; petals not 

 unfrequently marked with pale purple. This is a very superior flower, new in 

 color, and of fine form ; growth very strong, foliage large. A most striking 

 variety. 



