THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
203 
its branches are four feet long and three feet high. At 
the side where the arch springs from the basket is a Ly- 
godiurn scandens (climbing fern), which clambers up the 
arch and from thence by strings to the lattice of the 
piazza. The basket also contains Lycopodium arborea 
and a smaller variety, a rose-colored hydrangea, with 
clusters of flowers as large as a tea-plate, Sedum Sie- 
boldii, and tuberous-rooted begonias, which make it 
very attractive. The shelf on each side contains pots of 
Pilogyne suavzs, begonias, primroses, and a Grand Duke 
jasmine, four feet by two feet, in full flower. In front 
I have my fuchsias, with northeast and western expo¬ 
sure. One Carl Halt has created more comment than all 
my plants taken collectively. It is six years old and is 
grown in a box two feet square and eighteen inches deep ; 
it is full three feet high and has from ten to fifteen 
branches, all as large as a man’s thumb, with thousands 
of flowers each season. It alone would attract attention, 
but flanked by Black Prince, two feet high, Speciosa, 
Montrose, Mrs. Marshall, George Rundle, &c., all large 
fine specimen plants in pots, none smaller than seven 
inches, makes a handsome collection. The piazza being 
wider in the centre than in the wings, gives me a recess, 
where two large rustic jardinieres stand, filled with fine 
plants of Curculigo recurvata , Aspidistra variegata, 
Farfugium grande , ferns, tradescantias, in variety, 
sedums, &c. 
On the boxing each side of the front steps are my two 
large square calla pots, imitating wood, with basins to 
hold water. On the piazza is a rustic lounge, two bent¬ 
wood chairs, one arm-chair and one ladies’-rocker, 
painted vermilion. There are brackets on the walls, 
with vines twined around each pillar or column, and 
it is truly a delightful place to rest and sit during our 
hot afternoons. My large flower-garden is on all three 
sides of this piazza—north, east and west—running far 
back to rear of the house, and in it, from early Febru¬ 
ary to late in December, can always be culled beautiful 
bouquets of flowers. I do not study artistic effects, for 
with only a quarter of an acre for my grounds and an 
insatiable desire for all beautiful flowers, I have suc¬ 
ceeded in collecting specimens of many rare and beauti¬ 
ful plants. I have 200 named varieties of roses, 100 of 
the new chrysanthemums, 25 varieties of lilies, as well 
as bulbous, tuberous, perennial and annual plants, that 
yield to my eager desires far more than we can cull. My 
flowers grace many a wedding feast and social gather¬ 
ing ; they decorate the church and are worn by school¬ 
girls and for button-hole bouquets for boys, as well as 
many bearded men, yet I have more than an abundance, 
and I ascribe it to my unstinted cutting of all varieties. 
I spare none ; all succumb to my keen-edged shears. 
Mrs. J. S. R. Thompson. 
South Carolina. 
MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
JUNE EXHIBITION. 
A MID the gorgeous assemblage of flowers of all de¬ 
nominations which adorned the exhibition tables 
of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, at their late 
rose show, notwithstanding it is difficult to particularize a 
selection of noticeable specimens from among a multitude 
so universally, so pre-eminently good, we nevertheless 
cannot refrain from recording a few, but will precede our 
notices with some remarks on the exhibition generally. 
Excellent as are the arrangements, usually, of the com¬ 
mittees in charge, by which all specimens can be seen 
to the best possible advar#age, and every exhibitor is 
recognized as an important factor in the general work, 
there was this year a serious hitch or defect in the ar¬ 
rangements, that left a reasonable doubt in the minds of 
some of the most enthusiastic and large exhibitors as to 
when the exhibition was to take place, if at all. This un¬ 
certainty was the cause of Mr. Harris’s absence with that 
grand collection of plants from Mr. Hannewell’s estab¬ 
lishment, which is always one of the prominent features 
of the exhibition, and one that draws together annually 
the best growers of rare plants in this country for an 
interchange of thought and feeling, and for the inspection 
of “ novelties ” that are sure to be exhibited, if any there 
are in the country. 
Notwithstanding this uncertainty, that was caused by 
the backwardness of the season, or tne disposition of the 
roses not to be on time, or even to make a fair promise 
of time, the exhibition as a whole was a splendid 
success. Upon this point but one opinion could be enter¬ 
tained. We wish, however, to speak only of the various 
collections of orchidacious plants which were exhibited 
in fine condition, as they always are in Horticultural 
Hall. As there are in the vicinity of Boston many fine 
specimens in the possession of those w,ho grow this in¬ 
teresting tribe extensively, it is not unreasonable to ex¬ 
pect, from those plants of large dimensions, production 
of “spikes” and “scapes ” of corresponding quality and 
quantity. 
It would be invidious to distinguish where excellence 
was so generally apparent; we, therefore, do not wish to 
be considered as speaking in a comparative sense as we 
notice the different collections, or the various specimens 
on the tables. Nor do we wish to be understood as 
thinking size the only indication of good culture; a large 
plant, if good, is the result of continued good culture, 
while a smaller specimen may as clearly indicate wise 
care and attention. 
From the gardens of Frederick L. Ames, North Easton, 
Mass., came a lovely group of orchids, arranged in ex¬ 
quisite taste, and all showed skillful cultivation. Some 
of the specimens were particularly well grown. Con¬ 
spicuous in this group were fine examples of the fol¬ 
lowing : 
Several varieties of Odontoglossom Alexandrce and 
Pescatorei, well flowered, showing the rare beauty of 
this remarkable genus, and two charming varieties of 
