STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. J 03 



Knowles at Crowley's and Miss Ham at Leeds, both ladies of veiy 

 fine tastes, and quite amateur florists. Besides the summer gardens 

 at these stations, they have large windows which are, during the 

 winter months more particularlj', filled with flowering and foliage 

 plants ; and one will have to look a long time to find prettier win- 

 dows or better kept plants than found here. There are many other 

 stations at which the operators or station agents make a ver}' fine 

 show of plants in their windows during the winter, but none who 

 have so good facilities as the two named. 



When the work of decorating the diflferent stations was com- 

 menced, those who had the care of it felt a little fear that the 

 diflferent people having charge of the plants would not care for them 

 through the summer, but it gives me great pleasure to sa}' that with 

 hardly an exception all have joined in trying to get the best results ; 

 and at quite a number of stations where, during the hot dr}' days of 

 summer, the plants had to be watered, the station agent would see 

 that this was done each day, so that failure in a single instance has 

 not occurred ; and to-day the different station agents look forward 

 to their flowers and gardens With the same feelings and anticipations 

 that the ladies do to their private gardens at home. 



Now the good results arising from the system of railroad garden- 

 ing can hardly be enumerated. It extends far beyond the mere 

 planting of beautiful flowers along the line ; it has the effect to 

 bring up the grounds of each station to that standard of neatness 

 for which the road is justly credited, and it also is an example for 

 each village and city through which the road passes, that they could 

 follow with profit. Very many are seeing the good eflfects, and you 

 will read of village improvement societies being formed in many 

 places. Wherever the work has commenced 3'ou will readily see the 

 good effects in the trees being trimmed, unsightly banks graded, 

 flowering shrubs planted, and beds of plants set out. It also ele- 

 vates and stimulates individuals to the improvement of private 

 grounds, and the result will be, that people who never thought to 

 set a tree or shrub, or purchase a plant for summer decoration, will 

 now commence to beautify their own homes, and bj' so doing not 

 only add to the beauty, but to the attractions of home. The sys- 

 tem of railroad gardening is 3'et in its infancy'. It will be but a 

 few years before all roads which aspire to having everything at- 

 tractive and pleasing to the travelling public will follow the lead of 

 the Maine Central, which in this, as in other improvements, has 



