Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 389 



gressincr towards completion, will, Ave trust, furnish ample accommoda- 

 tions for all contributors. 



Notwithstanding the long continued drought which prevailed previous 

 to the exhibition, and which had the effect greatly to diminish the usual 

 variety of flowers, there was a fine display of dahlias, roses, and German 

 asters. The dahlias, which were the most prominent feature in the fioral 

 department and which are so essential, by their rich and varied colors, to 

 add splendor to an exhibition, were very numerous and unusually fine. 

 Among the different contributions of this flower, we noticed many excel- 

 lent blooms of new varieties, and were particularly struck with the ad- 

 ditional number of white-tipped varieties which have been introduced this 

 season. These, though many of them are not sufficiently perfect in form 

 to entitle them to a place among show-flowers, possess an advantage in 

 the garden over many self-colored sorts by their novel and distinct colors, 

 producing a striking and beautiful eflect. Of this class, we noticed in 

 the collection of the President of the Society, the following varieties : — 

 Flambeau, La Lione, Oakley's Surprise, Madame de Schaunenfield, Miss 

 Watson, Nihil, and Alba purpurea. 



Among the plants, we would more particularly notice the following: — 

 From the President, Fuchsia, var. Frostu, Exoniensis and Meteor ; Achim- 

 enes longiflora and rosea, very fine. In the collection of plants sent by 

 Mr. William Carter, of the Botanic Garden, were the coffee tree, iaiirus 

 cdmphora, or camphor tree, Chelone speciosa, the Alpinia nutans, Avith its 

 long erect leaves, and elegantly painted drooping flowers — with many 

 other rare plants. 



Five varieties of the Achimenes, viz., longiflora, grandiflora, peduncu- 

 lata, rosea, and coccinea, from Messrs. Hovey & Co., Avere in fine floAver 

 and very attractive. Two of the largest plants Ave ever noticed of the 

 Lechenaultio formosa, were sent by Mr. Thomas Willot, and Avere cov- 

 ered Avith flowers. Arundo striata, a curious plant, Avith many others, 

 from Messrs. Winship, and a fine plant of Fuchsia exoniensis, from Mr. 

 Parker Barnes. 



The Society this season offered premiums for the most appropriate and 

 beautiful ornamental devices in floAvers for decorating the Hall, at the 

 annual exhibition ; for Avhich there Avere a number of competitors. Mr. 

 John Kenrick exhibited one of the most beautiful — it Avas the American 

 Eagle, ingeniously Avrought Avith floAversof the German aster. No device 

 could have been more appropriate, and it attracted much attention. Mr. 

 William Kenrick also sent an Eagle displaying his Avide-spread wings, 

 and a beautiful Star, both formed of aster "floAvers ; also, a rustic Vase, 

 wreathed and filled Avith a great variety of floAvers. Some devices, de- 

 signed to represent the Bunker Hill Monument, were very showy. Mam- 

 moth bouquets, composed entirelv of dahlias, were furnished bV Messrs. 

 S. A. Walker, J. Nugent, and J. L. L. F. Warren. 



Among the cut floAvers, the German asters, from Messrs. Stickney, 

 Johnson, Gordon, and S. A. Walker, were excellent specimens. Messrs. 

 Hovey &. Co. contributed sixty varieties of Bengal, Tea, Noisette, and 

 Bourbon roses, and a beautiful collection of German asters. A large col- 

 lection of dahlias Avas contributed by W. R. Prince, of Flushing, L. L, 

 some of them fine blooms ; also, by the same, a variety of very large and 

 handsome coxcombs and German stocks. 



The pomological department Avas the great centre of attraction ; the 



