People who stay at home have the satisfaction of knowing that they often see things in better shape than they would after making a long journey. The full force of this was impressed on me, and noted for future reference, a day or so ago, by a tour through the Agricultural Department grounds. The display of tulips and hyacinths is simply immense; there is a somewhat corrugated line of tulips in mixed colors the whole length of the large conservatory, and it is gorgeous; then there are beds of yellow and white and Bizarre, double and single, and such great clumps, twelve and fifteen flowers on a clump; and the hyacinths are famous. Just think of it! Thousands of flowers of this description under the eye at once, and great big clumps of paeonies, and patches of Papaver orientale coming along to take their place; and goodness only knows what is coming along as successors to these. I found the varieties of magnolia that bloom together about at their best. M. Lennii is a fine variety, with large purple flowers of great substance. A beautiful sight were the great clumps of Forsythia and Cydonia, or Pyrus Japonica. Some of the latter would actually dazzle one with their brightness, and such large clumps look so fine at a distance.

Does anyone know of a plant or flower that is not the better for being massed?

That great, big, white, Hawthorn-looking tree turns out to be Amelanchier botryapium; but let no nurseryman get up a stock of this; he could not get rid of one in twenty years. " Its a wild plant; grows out in the woods;" but nothing better in its way ever came from China, or Japan, either.

The varieties of Japanese maple are commencing to show their colors, and will be delightful in a week or so. Inside there is a Pritchardia ma-crocarpa, worth going a thousand miles to see; splendid specimens of Oreodoxa regia, Seaforthia elegans, Thrinax argentea and elegans, Kentias Balmoreana and Fosteriana, and Cocos of almost every variety. I notice a good many Chamaerops and Chamodorea in bloom, and several other very interesting things. It is no wonder the place is thronged with visitors all the time.

Georgetown, D. C.