REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL GARDENS, ETC. 241 



CHILDREN'S HERBARIU3IS. 



It can be truly said that the children's herbariums exhibited 

 November 26 and 27, 1897, considering the number and quality 

 of the specimens, were the best ever placed on exhibition in 

 Horticultural Hall. 



More classes of plants were exhibited than at any previous 

 exhibition, flowering plants leading with one thousand and twent}'- 

 uine specimens, and ferns coming next with two hundred and 

 eleven specimens. These two classes were the largest ever seen 

 hei'e. Grasses, sedges, rushes, and mosses swelled the whole 

 number to thirteen hundred and sixty-six specimens. For the ex- 

 hibition of these mounts nearly all the table space in both halls 

 was required. 



The Nahant school collection was the most remarkable, both in 

 point of numbers and the quality of the mounting. AYhen the 

 specimen was small by nature, many plants of the same species 

 were artistically arranged on the sheet, so that different forms were 

 shown and the sheet was well covered. A specimen two or three 

 inches long looks lonesome on a sheet eleven by sixteen inches. 



Among the collections that call for special mention were those 

 of Lucy D. Ellis, Genevieve Dornn, Vanessa Denton, William P. 

 Bates, Marion C. Goward, Roscoe G. Knight, Arthur E. French, 

 and Arthur C. Faxon. The last two exhibitors have shown nearly 

 every common native plant, and many rare ones, during the five 

 or six years- they have exhibited. 



Mr. Daveni)ort's first prize of fifty native ferns, and the 

 second of twenty-five, attracted marked attention. The former 

 was won by Lucy D. Ellis, and the latter by Arthur E. French. 

 Most fortunately, these two beautiful collections came into the 

 possession of appreciative young botanists. 



The attendance was much larger than at any previous exhibi- 

 tion, and in every way satisfactory. 



It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the distribution of thou- 

 sands of circulars and prize lists of the exhibition every year, 

 advertising in three prominent Boston papers, and calling atten- 

 tion to the exhibition at teachers' conventions, so many people, 

 teachei's included, stumble as it vveve into the exhibition, declaring 

 that they never knew anything about the matter before catching a 

 glimpse of a seven-foot poster on each side of the outer door of 

 this Hall. 



