1884.] 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
133 
MASSA0HD8ETTS BOBTIODLTUEAL 800IEIY 
The grand Rose and Strawberry Exhibition 
of this society was held on June 24th and 
25th, at Horticultural Hall, Boston, and as 
far as the number and excellence of the ex¬ 
hibits in general beauty and choice of varie¬ 
ties, and especially the arrangement and 
management of the whole, are concerned, it 
has probably never been equaled on this 
continent. The beautiful gi-anite building 
in the very heart of the city, within a few 
steps of the Common, is the property of the 
society, and is admirably arranged for e.xhi- 
bition purposes, occupying an entire square ; 
light is obtained from all sides. The upper 
hall, in which the flowers were shown, was 
very tastefully and ingeniously mapped out 
so as to show each exhibit to the best advan¬ 
tage, and the bird’s-eye view of the whole, as 
seen from the gallery, might \vithout much 
imagination make one believe to have sud¬ 
denly become transported into fah-y-land. 
There was nothing of the stiff, monotonous 
appearance produced by long, narrow, par¬ 
allel tables; the whole disposition of the 
tables and stages was so tasteful and natural 
as to resemble the parterres of a beautiful 
flower garden, more than an exhibition hall, 
as usually arranged. 
In the center was a very broad table for 
the Boses competing for the silver “ Chal¬ 
lenge Vase” of the value of $200, for 
twenty-four varieties, three specimens each, 
to be held by the winner against all comers for 
three consecutive years, and then to be his 
property absolutely. The vase was won by 
John B. Moore & Son, and deservedly so, for- 
a more magnificent display of Roses it has 
never before been our fortune to see—not one 
of them that was not perfect. The collection 
consisted of Abel Carriere, Baroness Roths¬ 
child, Boieldieu, Charles Lefebvre, Mabel 
Morrison, Duke of Edinburgh, Francois 
Michelon, Jean Liabaud, Glory of Cheshunt, 
Baron de Boustetten, La Rosiere, Etienne 
Levet, Marie Baumann, Camille Bernadin, 
Mme. Gabriel Luizet, Marquise de Castellane, 
Charles Darwin, Crown Prince, Comtesse de 
Serenye, Maurice Bernadin, Louis Van 
Houtte, Marguerite de St. Amande, Mar¬ 
chioness of Exeter, Mme. Prosper Lanier. 
Other tables, containing the exhibits of 
those competing for the society’s regular 
prizes, were arranged nearer to the platform, 
while along the walls, just below the large 
windows, were huge banks of Roses, in bot 
ties, so arranged that nothing but the owers 
and their foliage, was visible. This arrange¬ 
ment was especially pleasing, the a es so 
placed as to form alcoves or recesses, ^d 
presenting each exhibit to the best possible 
advantage, and at the same time ^ving e 
whole a more varied appearance t ^ cou 
be produced with straight rows of tables. 
The special subscription prizes of silve 
vases for Hybrid Perpetual Boses, twen y- 
four of different varieties, were awarded to 
JohnL. Gardner; second, WUliam Gray, Jr. 
Six of different varieties, John 
Twelve of different varieties, William Ji. 
Spooner. Eighteen of different varieties, 
John L. Gardner. Six of any two 
three of each| Francis B. Hayes. 
of six varieties, three of 
Spooner. Special prize offered by a 
of the society for the best six blooms of any 
TOiuety, to be judged by a scale of points, 
William A. Spooner, for Mme. Gabriel Luizet! 
Ihe special prizes offered by the society for 
the best SIX blooms each of Alfred Colomb, 
Baroness Rothschild, Jean Liabaud, John 
ITopper M.arquiso de Castellane, and Mme. 
Victor Verdier, were all taken by John B. 
Moore & Sou; and that for Mme. Gabriel 
Luizet, by William H. Spooner. The prize 
tor twelve blooms of any other variety was 
awarded to John B. Moore & Son for Mons. 
oncenne, and the first, second, and third, 
for a single bloom of any variety, to the same 
for Francois Miehelon, Mme. Gabriel Luizet 
and Allred Colomb respectively. 
Of the soeiety’s regular prizes, that for 
twenty-four varieties of Hybrid Perpetual 
Roses, three of eaeh, was awarded to John 
B. Moore & Son. Twelve varieties, William 
H. Spooner; second, JohnL. Gardner; third, 
Francis B. Hayes. Six varieties, .John L. 
Gardner; second and thii-d, John S. Rich¬ 
ards. Three varieties, Francis B. Hayes ; 
second, John S. Richards; third, John L. 
Gardner. Moss Roses, six named varieties, 
William H. Spooner; second, John B. Moore 
& Son. Tlu-ee varieties, John B. Moore & 
Son ; second, William H. Spooner. General 
display of one huudi-ed bottles of Hardy 
Roses, John B.Moore & Son; second, Norton 
Brothers; thud, John S. Richards; fourth, 
Francis B. Hayes ; fifth, William H. Spooner. 
Next to the Boses, the orchids probably 
attracted most attention, and here again the 
variety of curious forms, rich colors, and 
delicious fragrauee was indescribable. The 
principal exhibitors were F. L. Ames and 
David Allan, gardener to R. M. Pratt, who 
together filledthe first stand in the upper hall. 
H. H. Hunnewell had a fine collection on the 
next table, and all were interspersed and set 
off with the beautiful foliage of the Asparagus 
plumosHS, or of rare and delicate ferns. Mr. 
Hunnewell had also flowers of the Dipladenia 
amabilis, a rare hot-house plant, and a speci¬ 
men of the Nertera depressa, or Bead plant, 
looldng like a mossy sm'face thickly strewn 
with orange-colored beads. Mr. Hunnewell 
also filled a platform with a collection of 
gi'eenhouse plants in flower, which received 
the first prize, and included SpathyjAiylluv) 
liybridum. On this platform was also a re¬ 
markably fine Bliynchospermwn jasminoides, 
which took the second prize as the best speci¬ 
men flowering plant; a fine Clerodendron, 
and several finely bloomed Pelargoniums. On 
the opposite aide of the hall was a platform 
of plants from John L. Gardner, who took 
the first prize for a collection of flowering 
plants, among them a Wiyncliospermum, 
which we should think would have puzzled 
the committee to decide between it and Mr. 
Hunnewell’s. Mr. Gardner took the first 
prize for a specimen flowering plant with 
Erica Botlmelliana, which we thought the 
finest heath we have ever seen, though an 
Erica venMcosa superba was more beautiful 
in flower’, but not so large a plant. 
A specimen of a double Dcutzia scabraj a 
new seedling, origiiiated by John Richard¬ 
son, was shown, and promises to be an 
acquisition to om’ hardy shrubs. J- W. 
Manning exhibited a large collection of 
hardy herbaceous plants, comprising fifty 
species,. all carefully named. The display 
of Sweet Williams was uncommonly fine. 
Edward W. Breed made a good display of 
Carnations, and W. C. Strong exhibited a 
collection of variegated tree and shrub 
foliage. On the lower floor were the ex¬ 
hibitions of fruits and vegetables. 
The collection of Strawberries was re¬ 
markably fine, comprising about one hundred 
arid fifty dishes of fruit, but appearing much 
larger on account of the berries being shown 
in single layers on plates made for the pur¬ 
pose. For size the Sharpless took the lead, 
but it had a powerful competitor in the 
Belmont, a new seedling of Mr. Warren 
Heustis, which pleased us very much. It 
was raised from Sharpless seed five years 
ago, and has its full-developed character. It 
is of large size, about that of a medium-sized 
Shai-pless, of peculiar, purse-shaped, attrac¬ 
tive form, very uniform, brighter in color 
than Shai-pless, and of much better quality. 
It is a prolific beare.r, and a most rigorous 
grower. It was without exception the most at¬ 
tractive looking berry on exhibition. Jersey 
Queen, Manchester, Cumberland Triumph, 
Bidwell, Hervey Davis, Wilder, Miner, were 
among the most inviting in appearance. 
Black Hamburg Grapes, from the Hon. 
Francis B. Hayes, the president of the 
society, were of enormous size and well 
colored. 
Among vegetables. Peas took a leading 
position, and we have certainly never seen 
finer dishes anywhere. AH the premiums 
for Peas, regardless of variety, were awarded 
for American Wonder. Beets, Carrots, Cu¬ 
cumbers, Lettuce, Tomatoes, in fact, every 
kind of vegetable that can be produced out 
of doors or under glass at this season, were 
represented. 
We could easily fill many pages in de¬ 
scribing all the many floral and other attrac¬ 
tions contained in these enchanting balls 
during these two days, not the least interest¬ 
ing of which were the intelligent and observ¬ 
ant visitors, ladies principally, who were as 
familiar with the qualities and merits of the 
different varieties as professional florists. 
The exhibition, as a whole, as well as in its 
details, was a grand success, well worth a 
long jom’ney to see ; and to any one who 
vrishes to see a real flower show, be it Roses 
or Rhododendrons, or anything else, we 
would say, go to Boston. 
THE NEW OELEANS WOELD'S FAIR. 
The Hon. P. J. Berkmans, of Augusta, Ga., 
First Vice-President of the American Pomo- 
logical Society, sailed for the Old World on 
the 18th ult., in the capacity of Foreign Com¬ 
missioner for the Centennial Cotton Exposi¬ 
tion, to be held in New Orleans next winter. 
He will visit first Egypt and other North Afri¬ 
can States, then the southern countries of 
Europe, and lastly the middle and northern 
parts of the continent. His commission 
comes both from the Exposition authorities, 
and from the President of the United States, 
so that he starts equipped with the most 
favorable facilities. 
The managers of the fair are to be con¬ 
gratulated upon haring been able to secure 
the services of a man so excellently fitted for 
the position. His familiarity with several 
European languages, his eminent knowledge 
and experience in pomology and horticult¬ 
ural and agricultural matters in general, 
combined with hearty geniality and genuine 
gentility, make him just the man for the 
place. We wish him all possible success 
in his undertakings. 
