176 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



they quickly fade and present a wretchedly ragged appearance 

 when grouped either as pot plants or cut flowers. 



The exhibit of coniferous trees made by the Joseph Breck 

 Corporation was a very creditable one and should have been given a 

 more prominent position. The following named plants were 

 shown: Picea Parryana, blue spruce; Thuya occidentalis, western 

 arborvitae; Juniperus communis, native golden variety and Irish 

 juniper; J . Japonica; J. Virginiana, blue variety; Picea excelsa, 

 weeping variety; Juniperus Sabina, European sabine; Picea 

 Ajanensis, Japanese; Pinu^ montana; Pinu3 sylvestris, Scotch; 

 Abies Fraseri, southern balsam fir; Abies concolor, Colorado silver 

 fir; Picea alba, white spruce; and Cedrus Atlantica, Atlantic cedar. 

 Some exception has been taken as to the hardiness of some of these. 

 All but two might be called "ironclad." The two m question — 

 the southern balsam and Atlantic cedar are hardy locally, and quite 

 hardy in southern New England; and as the Schedule merely 

 calls for "Hardy Coniferous Trees" it is to be presumed, at least, 

 that the whole of New England is to be taken in. 



The orchid groups were very creditable. They were the occasion 

 of some difficulty to the committee on account of the indecisive 

 wording of the Schedule. The prize went to the best table of 

 orchids, the one richest in varieties, and not to the one best arranged. 



By a comparison of the Decorative Groups, with and without 

 chrysanthemums, it could be easily seen how difficult it is to blend 

 them with foliage plants. It is well known that left overs, and 

 other unpresentable chrysanthemum plants are used for these 

 decorations. They fail to mix, and do not fill up the gaps har- 

 moniously; thus it can always be seen just what they are. It is 

 plain that when chrysanthemums are used with foliage ])lants 

 they must be specially grown for that purpose, and this was made 

 quite clear by the exhibit of Sidney Hoffman which was by far the 

 best in this way that has ever been made in the halls of the Society. 



A First Class Certificate was awarded to H. A. Dreer Co. for 

 Nephrolepis Scholzelii. It is a moderately-crested fern of the N. 

 Scottii type, and like that variety should be of exceptional decorative 

 value. 



Honorable Mention was awarded to H. H. Barrows & Son of 

 Whitman for another of the densely-crested forms now so common. 



