May, 
wifli 
mSW TOBK HOKTIOTJITUBAL SOOIETT. 
The superb display of Oreiiids at tlie 
Spring Exhibition of tliis society, held 
March 3d, showed plainly in what higli 
favor these noAV so fasliionable dowers arc 
held. Never in the history of the society 
were sucli quantities and such perfect sped- 
mens of Orchids shown. 
Tlie lavish display of Orchids by Thomas 
Emerson, gardener to Jlr. Win. B. Dius- 
more, of Staatsburg-on-the-Hudson, formed 
the center of attraction. Of some kinds a 
dozen or two blooming spikes were shown 
in one huge bunch, and It one has the material 
to do it with, this is certainly the. most cdcctive 
way to exhibit dowers. Among tlie best in 
the collection were Oitcidium aJaltim, 0 
lurUlum, Ca’hxjijne cristuta, Phajvs Wallachii, 
LxUa ancppn, Phalainopsis Schillemuia, P. 
Htuurliana, Demlrohium imahile, D. mua-o- 
jihijllwn, D- iwhile^aml Oduntoiilustsum Positii. 
Win. H. Clements, gardener to 3Irs. Clias. 
Morgan, who never shows anything interior, 
excelled himself in the excellence and beauty 
of his Orchids, the most striking of which 
were Succolabinm niiiantcum, Caltleiia Tri 
ante, C. nnbilior, L'clia Imrpophijlla, L. flam, 
Pludwtiopsis amabiUs, P. Sdiilleriana, P. 
leuc'jrhoda, Suphronites (jrandiflora, Odonto- 
rjJossinn Jeimiiiijsii, 0. Alvxandne, 0. drrho- 
stim, 0. Bossi majus, Crxdoijijne crislala, l)m- 
drobium yltimaccum, Epidendrum WulUsii, 
C’ljpripedium Jlarnsianum. Three or four 
other exliibits, the owners of which we 
could not ascertain, contained very line spec¬ 
imens of these curious plants. 
In addition to a magnilicent display of the 
leading varieties of Boses were several of 
tire newer kinds. The “ Bennett" Bose im¬ 
proves con.siderably by nearer acquaintance; 
it is certainly a most beautiful Bose. " Amer¬ 
ican Beauty," shown for tlie drsl time by 
Geo. Field & Bros., Wasliington, JJ. C., is a 
grand Bo.se of large .size ami exquisite fra¬ 
grance. Beine ilarie Jlenrielte, a vai'iety 
not frequently seen, is a cliurming Bose, 
cherry-red, large tind very double. 
Ilallock& Tliorpe made a grand exliibit 
of llyacintlis. Tulips, Crocus and oiliei- 
.spring-dowering bulbs, also Carnations, Gera¬ 
niums, etc. 
Albert Benz .showed liis new Carnation, 
“ IJoiiglaston,” in greater iierfection even 
than at the last meeting, also his new Calen¬ 
dula, and remarkably beautiful I'ansies, and 
Bilies of the Vtilley. 
.Siebreclit & Wadicy exhibited a large col¬ 
lection of mis.celhineous qilants, especially 
iiotaltle among which were AnUmrinm Erker- 
zunaimm, A. t’arrinJisl, tind A. Andivsitiiutit. 
The new Ciirnation “ .Scarlet Gem,"’ exhib¬ 
ited by Craig Bros., attracted nincli atten¬ 
tion. It has a iiceuliar, very decided scarlet, 
and perfect shape. 
Some 00 varieties of ' Camellias were 
shown, the first in many years. Cinerarias, 
Begonias, Violets, Azaleas, Abutilons, .Am¬ 
aryllis, Ban.sies and endless varieties of 
other ])lants added to tlie attractions of the 
exhibition, which was declared by many 
visitors and exliibitors to be the best 
held by the society in many months. 
Coming so 
heavy drain on lloweis ii.xrdly e.xpcctcd 
April Exhibition could ' ^ever- 
to bo xs large as the pi .„g throiigli 
thcless three broad a , tienscly 
the entire length of ho ha ,1 «e 
covered with beautiful o\\ 
A magnillcenr specimen of 
.B„l/o»rrf occupied the idace 
AMBBIOAir INSTITUTE FAEMEE8' OLUB. ’ 
PPOWKII-UKUS FOR COUNTRY HOMES. 
The following excellent paper was read at 
the second March meeting liy Peter B. Mead, 
chairman of tlie committee on agriculture. 
I have occasion to pass over a consider¬ 
able extent of country in the course of a 
year, and am always surprised to sec so lit- 
tie' attempted in the way of ornaincntation 
in the door-yards of farmers’homes. This 
is true, al.so, but in a less degree, of village 
head of the center table. pom'er’l couhl, indeed, naine a nun.ber "of 
■ylindrical "’“c .. villages which are noteworthy for the neat- 
iicss and good taste to lie .seen in. nearly all 
the door-yards on the principal streets; but 
where one such is to be seen there should be 
a hundred. .Such villages are not very un- 
eonimon in New England, Pennsylvania, 
and |)arts of the West. They arc usually re¬ 
garded as evidences of thrift and 8uece.ss. 
tvhilc this, in many cases, is doubtless true, 
they are, to my mind, evidences of a good 
deal more; that some people, irrespective of 
wealtli, liave learned to know tliat “life is 
worth living." 
It is a great pleasure to me to be able to 
say so much for many village homes. I wish I 
could trutlifully say as much for our farm¬ 
ers' liomes. While here and there, like oases 
in a desert, a iileasant green spot with a few 
(lowers meets tlie eye, it forms the excep¬ 
tion, and not tlie rule. AVhy is this .so'? I 
have tried to learn the cause, and found one 
of tlircc reasons generally given by my 
farmer friends. One says, “ Oh, I haven't 
got tlie time to bother with these things.” 
Anotlier Says, “ It costs too much. I'm too 
l)Oor.” Still anotlier .says, “iVell, 1 don't 
know. Our folks don't seem to care much 
for them." On asking the wife, however, 
I alnuxst always lind tliat she cares a good 
deal for tlieni, even in ca.se.s where the life of 
tile wife is reduced to drudgery by the care 
of children and iiroviding for many farm 
liands, without lielp in the kitchen. 
Let us look at these reasons: There are few 
farmei s who eamiot occasionally spare half 
an hour for improving and ornaiiienting their 
door-yards, llms enlianeing the value of their 
priqierty, liesides making home more attrac¬ 
tive to all. This occasional half liour is all 
tliat is needed on the part of the man. The 
woman will do the rest. 
Next, let us look at the cost. This is a 
great “bugbear" wliieli can easily lie put to 
lliglit. Tile lied once made in the manner 
and form presently to be exiilained, it can, 
if :i man be so very poor, lie tilled with beau¬ 
tiful llowers at a cash outlay of 10 cents, and 
in some cases at half tliat sum. 
Lastly, we have the poor mail wlio tries to 
deceive liimself witli the excuse, that “ his 
folivs don't seiMii to care tiiueli for llowci'- 
beds.” 'Phis man, be it rouiembore.d, has 
a wife, and eliildreii, and it is po.ssiblo 
that he. cares so little for tlumi that he 
really does not know what they care fot- 
lie probably never asks, tin to this liiiid- 
worked aiul nmeli traduced woman, and sim- 
trained on a cyniuo.w., ^ ,i„cl 
six feet high mid 
was completely covcied 
white and scarlet llowers; J 
tin Lipps, gardener to Mrs. G. .Spolloi d. 
A cillection of Orchids which had ariivcj 
from England tlie same day attracted nine 
attention. The specimens [ 
bloom, and in much better condition than 
one should suppose it possible they could be 
after so long a sea voyage. It comprised 
OduiUoi/hinsmn (flurhsnm, 0. Ah'mmlm,^ ■ 
drrlwsvm, 0. Amkrmnhmnm, 0. mm 
0. Peacatord, 0. Samkdaninn, MandmulUu 
amubilh, M. JIumjaiui, M. SlinUh-worthi, 
Dcudrubium nubile, Onddium snccolubiitm. 
The prize for the best new plant was 
awarded to Win. Clement, gardener to Airs. 
M. ,J. Morgan, for Athiii-inm Pulhadtiidiunum- 
The Oreiiids from the same exhibitor formed, 
as usual, one of the principal attractions. 
Of Boses the display was really superb. 
In a large bunch of Paul Neron, none of the 
llowers were less than live inches in diame¬ 
ter, and a buneh of Alagna Cliarta contained 
even larger llowers. 
Azaleas were shown in great numbers anil 
made a gorgeous display. 
B. B. Parsons exhibited a large collec¬ 
tion of Camellias. 
A collection of Cinerarias of rare excel¬ 
lence was shown by .Jolm Farrell, gardener 
to iVm. Barr. 
Chas. Bird, .Arlington, \. .L, exliibited a 
buncli of Alignonelte, the spikes of wliieh 
were, we think, the largest we have siaai. 
Tlie collection of cut llowers were unnsn- 
ally choice, csiiecially Ihe exliibit of Geo. 
Lucas, gardener to .S. L. Al. Barlow, con¬ 
taining many Orchids, .N'ymplneas, etc. 
In tlie mi.scellancons departnnmt many 
wcll-gi’own and beauLifnI specaincns were, 
nolable, l.ilie.s, Hydrangeas, Ericas, Bego¬ 
nias, Ixias, Violets, Pansies, Carnalions, 
Gei’aniums, 'I'niip.s. Hyacinths, etc. 
Among the vegetables, an iininen.se Caiili- 
llower from Palatka, Florida, attracted most 
attention. 
SOCIETY OF AMEEIOAN FLORISTS. 
At a preliminary meeting held recently in 
Pittsbni’g, it was decided to hold the lirst 
general meeting of tin; society at Cincinnati 
next August. The progra.. contemplates 
an exhibition of plants, both old varielies 
and new, id' cut llowers, of ilorists" supplies 
and heatiiig apparatus, greeii-bonse striiel- 
"I'nH and appliances, besides an exliibition 
ol any and " ' 
the Ilorists 
nil inventions 
trade. 
coimccted witli 
.. ... '"•'«i"al and praetieal 
Pnpers will be read and dise,is.se,I. 'rheeoil 
;n'.'il.mn ,d'the nmstprondnentand skilful Ih r^ 
-ltnn.stsoftlie country has already I,.:’ ' 
■IS wi.ll .IS the society is fully assured. 
Each (lav there will i„. n . I'l.V a-sk lier liow she would like to havn » 
bieli one or ..mi.!.",'’'’..'’!''*'"'’"'''.’'''' ‘''"v llowers about tlie lioiiso. jiisUmtly tl‘x 
bard and careworn look leaves lier faeOi •** 
eyes brlgliteii, and for tlie moment .sUu seems 
a transformed being 
.Wlioeverelsomn.Vix>'' 
care for tlie Mower-beds, it Is not the wouieu 
or tbe e.bildreii. I low easy it se.oms foi’ souie 
men to forget Unit they ever luul u uiotUei- 
