FRUIT AND FLOWERS. 419 



1852. It consists of 105 trees, 80 Baldwins, 15 Rhode Island 

 greenings, and 10 russets. 



The holes were made four feet in diameter and two feet deep, 

 and a one-horse cartload of compost of meadow mvid and loam 

 was put into each hole before setting the trees. In 1853, 1 

 raised a crop of oats, and laid down the land to grass ; but the 

 grass not taking well, in November, 1854, I ploughed in, and 

 1855 raised a crop of potatoes, and the present year corn. 



Grantville, November 14, 1856. 



From the Report of the Committee on Flowers. 



Tlie committee feel they have cause to congratulate the society 

 on the complete success of the floral exhibition. When it was 

 first proposed to arrange a table for the display of flowers and 

 bouquets, the project met with comparatively little approbation, 

 and the entire failure, on previous years, to produce even a fair 

 collection, gave great cause for discouragement. 



At length, however, suitable stands were arranged, and much 

 to the surprise of many, on the day of exhibition, were well 

 filled with a good collection of flowers. 



The success of this display, in 1855, only prompted to greater 

 efforts the present year, and so entirely have the exertions of 

 the committee been crowned with success, that the exhibition 

 not only far exceeded in beauty, variety of flowers and tasteful 

 adaptations, any ever before held in Norfolk county, but almost 

 rivalled the splendid displays of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society. 



It is a great and prevalent error to suppose that flowers are 

 only for ornament, and therefore of no practical use ; one of 

 the first principles of refinement is found in the love of the 

 beautiful in nature, and most certainly in n'o department can 

 beauty be studied in more pleasing and more varied forms than 

 in the floral kingdoms. 



It is not necessary that, in the pursuit of the useful, the beau- 

 tiful should be wholly neglected and overlooked ; beauty gives 

 the charm to utility, and robs the stern practical of much of its 

 harshness. 



Norfolk county has reason to be proud that she has been the 



