Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-09-23
Worcester County horticultural Society.
Report Of the Committee on Flotcers and
Decorations.

DeCO1UIlOnS.
The committee-Geo. jacques, Chairman
j. L. Burbank, and J. d. Wheeler, Grafton,
in the absence of the other two members-re-
spectfully report =
That the number of entries in this attrac-
tive department of the exhibition was larger
than it had been for several preceding years.
There were twenty-five contributors, and
about two hundred and forty articles contrib
uted. Still, but for the commendable zeal of
Messrs. Merrifeld, Salisbury, and Circuit
whose united collections comprised about
tive-siXths of the whole, and whose plants.
some two hundred in all, added SO very much
to the attractions of the exhibition-the floral
department would have been less interesting
than 1t used to be when the society was in its
infancy. Indeed, considering that the season
| has been as favorable as one could wish for
| outdoor cultivation, the display of outflow
! ers, bouquets, &C., though excellent in the
| quality and tasteful arrangement of most of
| the articles, was, nevertheless, by no means
so full and rich as many visitors had anticipa-
ted that it would be- In the absence of anv
apparent occasion for this deficiency, the
committee would be very reluctant to believe
that taste for horticulture is gradually be-
coming less prominent among the evidences
of the high civilization of our favored section
of the country.
| No extensive decoration of the hall was at
| tempted, but the continuous festoon of the
! beautiful Indigenous evergreen - called the
ground pine-suspended from the cornice,
| and the wreaths and stars of the same materi-
| al tba - tln ar.
the weary eye chaste and grateful relief,
ofwhich the absence would have been severe
ly felt.
The contributors to this department, as cop
led from the book of entries tor flowers, were
Mrs. Rider, Mrs. Charles E. Brooks, Icha-
bod Washburn, Mrs. Edwin Morse, Mrs. M. II.
Wheeler, Mrs. Edward Earle, Stephen Sails
bury, jonathan Grout, Miss Fannie M. Lin
coin, Miss Maria Fox }. G. Warren, Miss
Fox, Mrs j. c. Ripley, Mrs. j. Fawcett, VIM.
I. Merrifeld, Mrs. j. IL. Winch, Arba Pierce,
VIM. A. Wheeler, all of Worcester; Mrs. S..
ID. Ward of Shrewsbury, Il. M. Howe of
Sterling, and Mrs Jonas Brown of Wilkin-
sonvlle.
Of the three collections of green house
plants, that of Mr.. VIM. Il. Merriield-sev-
enty-siX plants comprising seventy five varie-
ties - was truly magnificent exhibition.
Among many other rare and valuable exot-
les, his collection contained the Croton Pic
tum, CrOton Variegata, Hoya Picta, Pavetta
Borbonica, Ficus Elasticus Qndia Rubber
plant,) Sage Palm, Ananesia Strieta, &C., &C.
Mr.. Salisburys collection-65 plants-con-
tanned many of the same that were in Mr..
Merrifeld's; also several superb Fuchias,
Geranlums, Bgonias, four varieties of Gala
dunn, the curious Pitcher plant, plant Of the
famous Sea Island Cotton &C., &C., &c.
Among the tifty-eight plants in pots, exhib-
tied by Jonathan Grout were twenty-four va
rieties of Verbenas, nineteen Fuchias, six
Bigonias, &C., &c.
What few Ont FloicerS were exhibited, were
in general tastefully arranged, although not