200 
the TOMES' TLORAL CABi m 
tiest when moderately small oad compact. 
■Victoria Century Plant (Agave Vietoi'M ,t 'ancl 
subject of our illustration, is one of the j.,j 
most beautiful of the genus. It is a native o ° tyg 
Mexico, where it is fouiul in a somewhat 
locality in the mountains, a day’s journey from o 
erey. The plant wliich we have figured is t ie 
which blossomed a month or two ago at the o 
cal garden of Haiward College, and which is a m® 
tiu-e specimen of its kind, the largest in cultiyg^.. 
and the only one that has ever been seen in bloss'^’ 
The flower-stem rises 11 feet above the body of 
plant, and is tenmnated by a dense laceme of 5'eUo^vi *^ 
llovvei-s that open a few at a time, beginning 
lower part of the raceme. The leaves are hnniero.,® 
between 200 and 800, prettily striped witli white, 
tenninated by a dark bi'own spine. 
Boivuno G.\isde.v, Cambridge, Mass., Oct, M. 
and 
NEW YORK horticultural SOCIETY. 
OcTOBEE Meeting. 
The October meeting cf the New York Horlicultiu'a 
Society was fuUy equal, in point of numbci'S, to anj of 
the season. The display of flowers, though by no means 
as large and varied as on many occasions, was good, 
some sfiecimens of rare beauty and interest weremoticed 
on the tables. 
The Eose-growers were not represented, even in per¬ 
son ; this, nowever, is not to be wondered at, as at tJiis 
season the details of the flower-gi'ower s business requii cs 
his attention in the gi-eenhouse, in order to prepare 
for the Winter’s trade, his harvest. We expect to see 
the tables furnished, in future, with Ecses in gieater 
variety and profusion than ever before exliibited at our 
Society’s meetings. We feel w’ari'anted in making this 
assertion, from the preparation we have witnessed at 
some of the leadhig establishments. 
Among the rare flowers exhibited were several 
branches, well loaded, of the Stenocarpus Cunninghami, 
a lofty growing tree from Tropical Australia, producing 
its indescr-ibable flowers, of a dark orange-red color, in 
axillary cluster's in the greatest profusion. In its gen¬ 
eral appearance this tree greatly resembles the Oak; it is 
strictly a greenhouse evergreen, and is but rarely met, 
even in the most i-are collections. For this display the 
society was indebted to C. E. PameU, gardener to W. 
F. D. Manice, Esq., of Queens, N. Y. 3Ir. PameU has 
■been very successful in the cultivation of this rare and 
beautiful tree. 
Tho coUections of cut flowers were fair, though not 
up to the average. In this class there were but two ex¬ 
hibitors, Messi's. HaUock, Son & Thorpe, and C. B. Par- 
neU, Esq., to whom were awarded the first and second 
prizes respectively. C. L. Allen & Co. were awarded the - 
first ]irize for the greatest display of Dahlias, the second 
being well earned by Messrs. Hallock & Thorpe, the 
same firm takmg the first prize for tho best twelve 
varieties, the second being awarded to Thomas Tait, Esq. 
Messrs. Allen were awarded a certificate of merit for a 
new Seedling Dahlia, “ Marguerite,” a beautiful pom- 
pon variety, of a bright rose color, perfect form, and a 
profuse bloomer—one of the very best v^arieties yet in¬ 
troduced. 
Mr. Eoenbeck of Bayonne, N. J., made a grand dis¬ 
play of Ferns and Begonias ; among the latter was a new 
seedling of the Eex variety, called Mm'klandii, in honor 
of James Y. Murkland, Esq., the secretary of the Societ)'. 
A fine show of seedling Gladiolus from C. L. AUen & | 
Co.’s Bulb fai-m, attracted considerable attention. Con¬ 
spicuous in this class was a variety called Dr. John i 
TeiTv, an immense spike of very large well arranged ’ 
flowers, color bright, rosy-pink, vrith a lighter centre 
and a delicate white line through the centre of each i 
petal. All the petals were weU rounded, and of gi'eat ' 
substance; eleven fully developed flowers, the lower j 
ones four inches in diameter, are on the spike, besides ! 
several well-developed buds. 
Mrs. Morgan, who always takes a warm interest in 
'the Societj", sent a smaU, but choice, collection of Or¬ 
chids, consisting of Oncidiums, Cattleya’s and Cjqire- 
pidiums. 
A very interesting and instnictive paper on Orchid 
Culture, by W. Gray, gardener to Erastus Corning, Esq., 
Albany, N. Y., was read by the secretary. 
LATE AUTUMN FLOWERS IN WISCONSIN. 
Hebe, at the West, we have a great variety of wild 
flowers, and there is always a good show of color from 
May to November. But the most brilliant display comes 
in September and October. Tlie early months give us 
flowers of more delicate hues. As the season advances 
the colors deepen, until the close of it comes to us with 
a grand burst of brilliance, that is like the concluding 
chord of hai-monym a grand triumphal overtme. 
This Autumn has been an imusually delightful one 
The weather has been mild, and the days full of sun¬ 
shine, and I liave been obliged to put by book and pen 
nearly every afternoon, and go out into the pastures 
and on the hills to enjoy the beauty that is scattered 
everywhere most prodigally. 
Bvei'y old pasture is gorgeous—no other w'ord ex¬ 
presses the meaning so well—with the radiant, glowing ! 
beauty of the Golden-Rod. One can easily imagine that ; 
the fields are on fire. . Nowhere have I ever seen it j 
growing so plentifully, and in such luxuriance as here, j 
It rans riot in every field where men and browsing ani- | 
mals give it half a chance to show what it can do. Freni j 
my window I can see patches of it on a hUl half a mil® •. 
away, that seem a solid sheet of gold. It is sunshine | 
transmuted by some subtle alchemy of nature into 1 
bloom. ' 5 
Growing in clumps among the Golden-Rod, you come ,] 
upon the wild Aster. Wliile its tints are subdued ! 
Quakerish effect beside the glowing color of it® 
