From Robert Manning, Secretary.

Progressive horticulture owes a great deal to its Massachusetts votaries, and especially those resident in the vicinity of Boston. The interest they show in their Horticultural Society is worthy of all praise. The best citizens belong to it, and they not only encourage progress among their own members, but influence the whole public taste. An excellent thought is a standing committee on public gardens and grounds. Their annual reports have much influence on the management of the public parks, for the excellence of which Boston is so famous.

The Arnold Arboretum is a source of pride to the whole country, and it will interest all our readers to have the report of this committee, through Mr. J. L. Barker, chairman, which we here append:

"Our next visit was on the 26th of August, to the Arnold Arboretum, first stopping at the residence of our Treasurer, by whom the Committee were hospitably entertained. After a delightful drive through the pleasant avenues of Jamaica Plain, we found ourselves at the Arboretum of Harvard College, which contains one hundred and sixty-five acres of land, quite varied in character. This is a portion of the well known Bussey Farm, in that part of Boston formerly known as West Rox-bury, and is within a few minutes walk of the Forest Hills station on the Boston and Providence Railroad, making it of easy access to visitors. The location is such that the experiments here made will be of great value to New England, and of general interest to a large portion of the whole country. The Arboretum is yet in its infancy, having been commenced only in 1874, when the seeds of the first trees were planted; so that, excepting the older trees previously on the place, of which there are many, a great portion are only nursery plants, which on account of certain arrangements made with the city of Boston could not be planted in permanent positions until the laying out of some of the roadways had been completed.

This being accomplished in part, the coming spring will see many of the botanical orders planted where they are to remain permanently, the planting being as far as possible in botanical sequence. Along the roadways will be planted both native species and those of foreign introduction, including all the varieties, so that even one not possessing special botanical knowledge can at a glance comprehend the arrangement and see by comparison the plants which best endure our climate. The Arboretum will thus be a living museum, where the nurseryman, gardener, and private land-owner may come for trustworthy information regarding all trees or shrubs, which will save them the cost of personal experiments, and of delays caused by unfortunate selections.

"The collection of living plants at the Arboretum is richer in species than any other in the United States; numbering at the present time over two thousand species and varieties of woody plants. Many of these may prove failures; but it is the work of the Arboretum to show by living illustrations what to select and what to avoid. The collection is being continually increased by a system of exchanges with botanic gardens and similar institutions, both public and private, in every part of the world within the temperate zone. Experiments are also being made with seeds of plants taken from widely different localities, with the hope that additions may be made to our lists of hardy trees. This has already been done in several instances, such as Abies concolor, Pseu-dotsuga Douglasii, and several others; the seeds of those plants brought from the warmer parts of the Pacific coast having proved of little use to us, in our changeable climate, while seeds from plants of the same species growing in Colorado under conditions similar to those in New England have produced plants which, so far, stand our climate as well as our native trees.

" Besides planting the living specimens, there has been established a Herbarium, containing an abundance of specimens of woody plants, collected from various parts of the world, and plants of the same species from different localities, to aid students and others in determining the names of species and the effect of climate and location. There will also be a large collection of all kinds of woods, barks, cones, and other tree productions that may be of use in the arts or sciences. These collections are already very rich in American species, and require a great number of botanical cases to preserve them. They are at present stored in a house owned by Professor Sargent, kindly loaned by him for this purpose until such time as a proper building shall be erected on the Arboretum grounds.

"The sources whence seeds are received from time to time are recorded in a set of books kept for this purpose. They are numbered in regular order, and by a systematic arrangement notes are made as to their hardiness, adaptability, usefulness, etc., which in future will be of great benefit in determining the history of these plants, and will form likewise a history of the Arboretum.

" The records kept at the Arboretum show that several thousand plants are annually exchanged with individuals, botanic gardens, agricultural colleges, and other institutions, not only in this country but in Europe, Asia, North Africa, St. Helena, Japan, the Sandwich Islands, and elsewhere. So wide a dissemination of plants must be productive of good results.

"The past season a Shrub Garden has been made comprising about two and one-eighth acres, laid out in beds ten feet wide by two hundred and seventy-five feet long, sufficient in extent for 1,157 species and 357 varieties. The shrubs are systematically arranged, beginning with the order Ranunculaceae, and ending with Smilaceae; and not only botanically, but as far as possible, geographically, American plants coming first. Here any one with even a limited knowledge of plants can take notes of these growing specimens, which will enable him to gain more knowledge than months or even years of study from books or catalogues could give, and will help him to make such selections as he would like to plant. All this is done at the expense of the Arboretum, thus giving all who wish to avail themselves of its privileges and advantages a real school of instruction free of all cost; and this will go on from generation to generation. No other such place is known where such valuable information can be similarly obtained; while Mr. Dawson, the skilful gardener, is always ready to impart any knowledge in his possession.