304 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



wooden horse or inverted y^, leaving a path so that two sides can 

 be easily attended to, and in this particular, doubtless, this 

 method is by far the best. Our preference is given to the system 

 adopted by W. Turner, at Rockwood, Tarrytown, N.Y. He 

 makes a wire arch on his centre beds, about seven feet high, 

 which he places inside his ^wo rows of plants. This arch is not 

 acute, but well rounded, so that there is abundant room for the 

 plants to grow and rest upon it. A board is placed on the 

 ground underneath the arch, which is high enough to allow of a 

 man doing the work of tying and pruning. 



The houses are span-roof, eighteen feet wide, so that he gets 

 four rows of plants, two being on the centre bed and one each on 

 the side benches, the plants, individually, standing about eighteen 

 inches to two feet apart. Sometimes they are in pots ; at others, 

 they are planted out. 



The next question — and a vital one — is that of varieties. Of 

 these there are but few, and we name them in order of excel- 

 lence, according to our exj^erience : Lorillard, Essex Hybrid, 

 Early Michigan, Aristocrat, Early Euby. Very frequently Dwarf 

 Champion is used, and with many it is popular for side benches, 

 but for this purpose we think Early Michigan is better. The 

 fruit is even-surfaced, of good colorj and medium size. Early 

 Ruby will produce lots of fruit, but the corrugations detract 

 from its value. Aristocrat is a heavy tomato, but Lorillard 

 and Essex Hybrid are preeminently the two best. 



J. VV. 



The Committee have made the folloAving awards : 



Special Prize from the John A. Lowell Fu7id. 

 For the best house of Chrysanthemums arranged for 



effect with other plants, Mrs. Benjamin P. Cheney , $50 00 

 Second, Walter Hunnewell 30 00 



Sociefi/^s Prizes. 

 For the best house or houses of Chrysanthemums grown 



on benches, Mrs. Benjamin P. Cheney . . . 50 00 



Second, William Nicholson 30 00 



For the best bench or frames of Violets, David Kevins, 40 00 



Second, James Comley . . . . ' . . 20 00 



