106 



may be rather sudden — by leaps, as it were ; but wliich.. 

 may be rather hard to decide. 



Mr. Tracy said that when plants with colored flowers pro- 

 duce pale or white varieties, these are almost inevitably 

 weaker in constitution. This is confirmed by the fact that 

 there is hardly a pure white flower known. What we call 

 such are all attenuated shades of other colors. And we also 

 find that white flowers produced by art, always tend to re- 

 vert to their normal tint. Verbena Melindres is red ; and 

 all the white sorts produced from it are liable to redden in 

 certain cases. So of the Geranium, &c. 



The Chair said these changes are no doubt producible by 

 art ; but a long period must be necessary to effect the result, 

 and after all, retrogradation would certainly take place at 

 the first opportunity. Nature is inevitable in her rules and 

 laws. Our fathers gathered just such plants and flowers as 

 we ; and when we interfere with the natural course, the cur- 

 rent sets back strongly toward its source. Double varieties 

 are always difficult to keep, always "running out" as we 

 say. 



This topic was much further discussed by Messrs.^GRE- 

 GORY, Oliver, Tracy, T. Ropes of Salem and others. 



Rev. C. C. Beaman of Salem said, he noticed that some 

 of the company had to-day brought their sketch-books and 

 made drawings of the beautiful things around them. He 

 wished this were oftener done. It would be a delightful ex- 

 ercise, and better opportunities could not be had. 



Mr. David N. Johnson of Lynn, had experienced much 

 satisfaction during the day's exercises, and added some re- 

 marks on the variety of talent which such occasions tended 

 to bring together. 



