32 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Pet0nias. — Quite a creditable display. All the standard varieties, and 

 some very good seedlings. 



Gladiolus. — Some starveling pots of Cardinalis and ramosus varieties have 

 been shown. 



Too much cannot be said of the beauty of the displays of the varieties of 

 gandavensis and floribundus. They were magnificent, and, in fact, were the 

 redeeming feature in the display of cut flowers. 



Asters. — Some very good blooms. 



Verbenas. — As good as usual. 



Dahlias. — Very few exhibited, and these ordinary; though some good 

 blooms have been shown. 



Chrysanthemdms. — Very poor, ragged, ill-grown plants. 



This summary can, of course, only give a general idea of the exhibitions. 

 For details the Committee must refer to the Reports of Weekly Exhibitions. 

 While the dryness of the season has been prejudicial to floral beauty, the 

 tardy coming of the frost conduced to a longer display. The first frost fell on 

 the evening of October 21st, but did little damage, heliotropes, salvias, castor 

 beans, and like tender plants, being uninjured. On the night of October 24th 

 came a killing black frost, which destroyed all tender plants in exposed situa- 

 tions in the country ; but as late as the 14th of November, in very sheltered 

 localities, and in the city, the most tender plants were in full beauty. Such a 

 long season is almost unprecedented in our latitude, and it has conduced to a 

 fine out-door display of autumnal flowers. We have seen Pompone Chrysan- 

 themums finer, this year, in the garden than in the greenhouse. 



Your Committee take pleasure in presenting to the Society the following 

 articles : — 



Calluna vulgaris, a native of the United States, by the Chairman. 



The Culture of the Tuberose, by E. W. Buswell. 



The Classification of the Rose, by Francis Parkman. 



CALLUNA VULGARIS, A NATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



BY THE CHAIRMAN. 



Quite a sensation has been created during the past summer (1861) by the 

 discovery of plants of the Scotch Heather (Calluna vulgaris) growing wild in 

 the vicinity of Boston. 



It has been usually supposed that no true Ericaceae were indigenous to 

 America, though the large and highly ornamental family of Ericaceae is abun- 

 dantly represented by our beautiful native Andromedas, Cassandra, Epigsea, 

 Cassiope, Clethras, and many other allied plants. To our shame be it said, our 

 representatives of this charming family are better appreciated abroad than at 



