1885. 
wise oiioor not Uuic will show. And vMil 
here let mo say to the inatlei's oP 'I'lin Amki^ 
ICAN tlAiiDKN, tliat a reinittanee oP .$2 to 
W. II. lhi}?an, vSeeretary, areeiieastle,'||,(l. 
will secure the report wIkmi published jiiul 
in addition a copy oP the l„st report, a vol- 
uiuc of nearly :100 paf^es, Polly worth the 
entire investiuent. Prooiptiu'ss in (his niiu,- 
tor will not oidy detenuiue the size, of (h^ 
fortheoiuing edition, hut tlte Pullness and 
value of it, and who would not desire and 
appreciate so valualde and periuaneiit a 
souvenir of tlie ffreatest exhibition (,b(> 
world has ever seenf It will possess a jier- 
inaneut interest and value for all bortienltii- 
rists in tins country. 
1 could not convey to tlie reader any ade- 
(piate idea of the value or contents of these, 
papers and the discussions, weiar 1 to at¬ 
tempt it, neither would your columns adnut 
of so doiu!>-. No mere synopsis could do the 
subjects or their authors j usticc, noth i ng sho rt 
of the full text will have a satisfying elleet. 
In all luy experience with meetings of 
this kmd held in connection with exhibi¬ 
tions, the iuduceineiits for attendance by the 
latter have always operated detrimentaHy to 
the former to some extent, and this occasion 
was no exception. Everyone in attendance 
on occasions of this kind must see the exhi¬ 
bition and then coin))are and discuss the 
merits or demerits of the different exhibits 
and samples before tlieni. 
There is also always more or less committee 
work to do, and tliis always draws percept¬ 
ibly on the members, thus causing enforced 
absence in one case and voluntary absence 
in the other. Added to these ditlicidties, is 
often unsuitable and noisy places for the 
meetings, rendering hearing diflicult. This 
meeting was no exception. I’he frequent 
tramping on the bare floors of the coi-ridor 
and the constant hammei’ing of the mechan¬ 
ics and laborers in preparing and mounting 
the exhibits adjacent to the room of meet¬ 
ing, together with the frequent chiming of the 
bells, rendered hearing absolutely out of the 
question a few feet from the .S])eaker. Af¬ 
ter a committee failed to find better quar¬ 
ters, and appeals to the professor of chime 
music met deaf ears, the President mastered 
the situation b}"^ invithag to and ofleiing the 
use of his parlors for future meetings. This 
proved to be a happy solution of the difll- 
oult}', and other societies similaiiy afflicted 
are cordially invited to apply the same rem¬ 
edy. 1 have great faith in its eflicacy, and 
the warm, social feeling that will follow 
will by no means be the least advantage at¬ 
tending the results. 
At one of the sessions the death of our 
dear old friend find co-laborer Chas. Down¬ 
ing was announced, and the society took 
iuunediate steps to put on record their esti¬ 
mate of his life and services b.y the adoption 
of suitable resolutions. 
The claims of several places for the next 
meeting of the society were duly presented 
and discussed, the matter being finally left 
to the executive conunlttee. _ ' 
The otRcers elect for the ensuing^ yea* 
are Parker Earle, Cobdeu, III-, President, 
'I'- V. Munson, Dennison, Tex., 1st Vice 
Pi-esident; W. H. Eagan, Greencastle, Ind., 
Secretary; J. C. Evans, Harlem, Mo., Treas- 
with Vice Presidents from each State 
and Territory. E. Williams. 
garden 
93 
eace 
'.o ll\e ciUeeKa. 
■foaea \j'cVa(^a 'coaca 
EASTEE FLOWEES. 
'I'hcre is no time duriiiH 
llowcrs are in 
the year when 
such extraoi’diiiai-y demand, 
aial the ingenuity of (iorists is so taxed, as 
at Easter ti.le, when the most retined and 
beautiful of God’s creations are sougbt to ex- 
lircss tbc bigiiest ami boliest sentiments. 'J'be 
lairest (lowers are forced for tbe Easter cel- 
ebiation, wliich takes jilace at a season when 
Nature so generously assists tbe piantsman 
that the perfection of growth is obtained. 
II itb marked accuracy skiiled growers are 
able to time their piants to bring in a superb 
cro]) of bloom at Easter. White (lowers 
aie in tbe bygest demand, altbougii tliis sea¬ 
son there lias been an innovation to the 
usual rule, and rich efl'ects have been wrought 
by the introduction of red Poses on the al¬ 
tars, andin memorial de.sigiis, that heretofore 
have always been decorated with pure white 
blossoms. 
The admirable and interesting class of dusky 
Eoses, some of which are nearly black, so 
deep is their crimson, cannot be success¬ 
fully developed before Easter. They will 
not get the color desired if forced too rapid¬ 
ly. This year they are one of the loveliest 
features of the Easter flower market, and 
the cream of the superb Pose crop. La 
Eosarie has a larger flower than General 
Jacqueminot anti is a shade deeper in color; 
Abel Carriere is duskjq velvety, and has a 
fiery heart; Xavier Olibo is almost black, 
and Eugene Appert is very deej) in color, 
and its petals are like plush; Jean Liabaudis 
a glowing crimson; Louis Van Houtte and 
Prince Camille de Pohan are both very dark, 
and Senateur Vaisse is large and dusky. Of 
all these deep-colored Roses, Fontcuelle is 
considered the richest; when on the bush it 
seems to fairly vibrate. 
“I plucked the flower and bold it to my car, 
And thought within its fervid breast to hear 
A smothered heart beat, throbbing soft and low.” 
AMAltYLLIS ANIJ ASl’AKAGUS TBNUISSIMUS. 
Besides the dark Roses, Amaryllis with 
their gorgeously pencilled throats have been 
used among the plants on the tiltars. Passi- 
jlora rubra with its crimson flowers was es¬ 
pecially suitable for Easter decoration, 
and was most gracefully festooned around 
memorial windows. 
Lapageria rubra was also employed in dec¬ 
orations and was very elegant combined 
with Asparagus tenuissimus. The latter 
vine is now grown in lengths to make it use¬ 
ful for large decorations: it bestows a 
Iv laciuess wherever it is twined: 
love- 
nioimds 
of it are made over wire frames, which are 
charming jiedestals for specimen plants. 
ALMONUli, AZAbKAS, MAIKlUBniTIiS. 
Flowering Almond with its spicy scent 
was introduced into several of the arge E.is- 
ter altar designs. Masslngs "f ^ 
have a transparent .and tremulous appeai- 
auce that makes them exqmsite "’hen clus¬ 
tered, were used in profusion, 
Japonica, bushes of Margumtes, 
Aslilbe 
and flue 
pliintH ot Deutzia gracilis and Erica gracilis 
alba were among the galaxy of bloom that 
greeted the eye Easter morning. 
KASTBIt IAbIE.S. 
The Easter Lily croj) was a handsome one. 
'J'bere were Liliura longiflorum^ L. llarrisll, 
L. candidurn, and Oallas, all of which w'ere 
broiiglit to the sliops hooded with cotton 
batting to keep their cups fair. The plants 
sold at various prices, .about -oO cents for 
each flower being charged. Besides provid¬ 
ing for cburch decorations, a great number 
of institutions and jtrivate parties had to be 
supjtlied, for everyone wants Lilies at Easter. 
l.ilies of tbe Valley were in enormous req¬ 
uisition for gifts. The loveliest baskets of 
these, combined with Snow Drops and clus¬ 
ters of white Forget-me-nots, were ordered 
for tokens of remembrance. 
STOCKS, in'DKAXCEAS. 
VV'hite .Stock Gillies are forced in great jier- 
fectioii this spring, and were very handsome 
placed among the rich tinted IVall-flowers, 
which were brought in to swell the Easter 
display. 
Hydrangeas were among the handsomest 
specimens in blooming plants. H. Olaksa, 
11. Murtensia and H. Hoggii with their grand 
jianicles, were conspicuously elegant, both 
in the churches and in decorations for 
private entertainments. 
UIXXKU-TABI.E DECORATIONS. 
A large number of Easter .Sunday dinner¬ 
parties were given, when the display of 
flowers on the table was beautiful and 
suggestive. A bed of Lily of the Valley 
would be placed in the center, aud surround¬ 
ing this would be Cal las with their spathes 
filled with long stem Bon-Silene buds. At 
each plate a bird's nest containing confec¬ 
tionary eggs stood on a cluster of Lily of 
the Valle}" blossom spikes. 
The prevailing style of dinner-table deco¬ 
ration this mouth is to place long stem Roses 
in silver dishes, or buds in the center, aud 
to scatter Roses loosely around, to be taken 
by guests after the repast is finished. It is 
pleasurable to help one’s self to the beautiful 
feast of Roses. 
EASTER SODVEXIRS. 
The boxes of cut-flowers sent for souvenirs 
Easter morning were luarvelouslj" lovely. 
Some of these contained only Violets, the 
clusters being laid so as to show the different 
shades, from the deep purple Czar to the 
pale Neapolitan, and then followed the tiny 
cluster of pink Violets, and below this, those 
white beauties of which the finest is the 
Swanly White. The latter has been very 
popular, oue florist having sold over ’2000 a 
week all through the season of two months’ 
duration. 
In every box was the hint of Easter in a 
spray of Lilies in one corner. There were 
boxes of Roses among Maiden Hair Ferns, 
and there were large clusters of kaleidosco¬ 
pic Pansies (“For thoughts”) which were 
fringed with Lilies of the Valley. “Blue 
boxes” were a feature among Easter floral 
gifts. These contained blue Daisies, Violets, 
Larkspur, Passion Flowers (Passiflnra 
incurnata), Forget-me-nots, and Bluets. 
STRAW BASKETS. 
Since the introduction of colored straw 
baskets, “pink,” “blue,” and “yellow” favors 
have been fashionable for presents. Pink 
baskets are filled avith Clover blossoms, 
