36 



FLOWERS. 



The displays in other departments where the frost 

 might have interfered was, we think, good. With a 

 little more care and a little more effort our Hall, already 

 beautiful, might have been rendered infinitely more 

 so by magnificent displays of these precious treasures 

 of earth. 



Native flowers were looked for in vain. This is a 

 feature of the Fair, we believe, usually left out. But 

 why should it be ? It is very certain that a Bouquet 

 of these would have received at least a gratuity. They 

 might easily have formed a prominent feature of the 

 floral display, for at this season there is always an 

 abundance of them. The fields, the woods, and the 

 roadside are gay with them. Common are they? They 

 have not the honor to have travelled across the sea, if 

 they had they would be called, many of them, magnifi- 

 cently beautiful. Indeed they are so. For every flower 

 should be esteemed less for its rarity than for its 

 intrinsic beauty. Many of our wild flowers more rare 

 and more beautiful than others would well repay an 

 introduction to the garden, notwithstanding the humili- 

 ating fact that they are indigenous to the valleys of 

 New England. 



It would be gratifying to have evidence of a growing 

 interest in the flowers of the field and woods. There 

 is a great abundance of them in all this vicinity. It 

 would not be difficult to find towards a hundred dis- 

 tinct species even at this late season*, and many of them 

 though common are perfectly exquisite. The study 

 and love of Native plants and flowers should underlie 

 and accompany all taste for those of the garden. And 

 these in goodly numbers should have a place in the 

 exhibition Hall. We would also suggest that a collec- 



