93 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



delightful employment, full of instruction to the mind, and rich 

 in its rewards for the labor bestowed. The late lamented 

 Downing said, and few were ever better qualified to say it than 

 himself, that ^^ fine fruit is the most perfect union of the useful 

 and beautiful, thai the earth hioics.'' Every one who loves 

 his home or his country, is in duty bouud to supply his own de- 

 mands, and thus add his proportion of the useful and beautiful, 

 both to his home and his country. 



The directors have been called upon to examine the orchards 

 of five applicants: three of apples and two of pears. An 

 opportunity has been thus offered, for a more extended ob- 

 servation of the attention which the subject has already 

 aroused in the minds of many who have too long deferred their 

 action; we noticed, with great satisfaction, the recent trans- 

 planting of many orchards, which, from their healthy growth and 

 general appearance of skilful management, gave every indica- 

 tion of a sure remuneration for the labor bestowed. In pass- 

 ing upon those more immediately under OAir cognizance, we 

 mean no disparagement to any one when we mention more par- 

 ticularly the one of Mrs. Richard Bagg, Jr. Mr. Bagg was the 

 pioneer in the enterprise of supplying the growing markets in 

 this vicinity with garden vegetables; in this, his uncompro- 

 mising energy and success went hand in hand ; having syste- 

 matized this branch of his business, his active mind embraced 

 a wider range, and his products found a ready market in our 

 large cities. The cultivation of fruit seemed to him an appro, 

 priatc branch of his business. To think and act, were with 

 him synonymous ; with these views he purchased a tract of 

 land, with no higher recommendation for such purpose, than the 

 minimum price at which it was offered ; it was here Mr. Bagg 

 commenced, in the spring of 1851, his operations, by setting four 

 Imndred trees ; the exact position in which they stand to each 

 other from any position of view, is characteristic of the man in 

 all his dealings ; his labors here were short ; scarcely had he 

 arranged these materials for his monument, before he was sum- 

 moned to have his name written — with the dead ; his epitaph 

 upon this monument should be written, useful and beautiful. 

 The remaining orchards deserve the attention of all who are 

 about commencing an orchard, and would avail themselves of 



