on the twelfth of December, and the condition of the house was in every 

 respect satisfactory, giving promise of an abundant crop. The temperature 

 ranges from 00° to 90° Fahrenheit; this warm atmosphere enables Mr. 

 Simpson to bloom in great perfection some of our most beautiful hot-house 

 plants. The Committee would particularly notice a fine specimen of the 

 Impatiens Hookerii, with its delicately marked flowers ; a large and beau- 

 tiful plant of the pretty Torrenia ^siatica, the curiously flowered JEschi- 

 nanthus Boschianus ; a showy plant of Poinsettia and a most beautiful Cissus 

 discolor in full flower. The manner of growing this latter plant was truly 

 charming, it being allowed to weep from a high bracket, thereby displaying 

 to the greatest advantage its beautifully marked foliage. The moist tempera- 

 ture seems also particularly adapted to verbenas and heliotropes, whose 

 luxuriant growth and profuse flowers bore witness to the skill and care 

 bestowed upon them. Great credit is due to Mr. Simpson's gardener, Mr. 

 Burns, whose indefatigable attention and untiring industry conduces greatly 

 to the success of Mr. Simpson's well formed plans. 



The Committee cannot but express their gratification at this visit, and 

 trust that the time is not far distant when grapes will be as plenty in our 

 markets, during the inclement winter months, as in the more sunny sum- 

 mer season. 



Our next visit was on Wednesday, June 28th, to the estate of H. H. Hun- 

 newell in West Needham. The situation is unsurpassed, being on the 

 banks of Lake Wabaan, a beautiful sheet of water, which, unlike most of 

 our New England lakes, has high bold shores, its banks being thus pecul- 

 iarly fitted for residences. The estate consists of about two hundred acres, 

 most beautifully laid out in garden, lawn, woodland and orchard. The 

 house is approached by two avenues on either side of the lawn, each seven- 

 teen feet in width ; the one bordered with white pines, silver maples and 

 larches, the other with native deciduous trees, magnolias and Pinus excelsus. 

 Our first visit was to the small flower garden in the rear of the house, where, 

 arranged in small beds, was a choice collection of all the best bedding 

 plants in full bloom ; showing by their growth the care and attention be- 

 stowed upon them. In the centre of this garden is a fountain, whose waters 

 fall into a white marble basin, tastefully bordered with flowers. The view 

 from this garden is magnificent ; indeed it would be difficult to find any 

 part of the premises where the views and scenery are not unsurpassed, or 

 where there is not something worthy the attention of the visitor. From the 

 garden we descended along a series of terraces all planted with choice 

 floweft and shrubs, among which the rhododendron was conspicuous, to 

 the borders of the lake, and wandering around, by paths winding through 

 the woods in such a manner as to leave the beautiful natural wildness unim- 

 paired, we obtained new views of beauty at every turn. Thence we as- 

 cended to a summer house built entirely of spruce poles in a most tasteful 

 manner by Mr. E. P. Hollis, the superintendent of the farm ; but unlike the 

 generality of these houses finished in a manner at once neat and most at- 

 tractive ; the interior is furnished in a handsome rustic style, in perfect 

 conformity with the exterior. 



