284 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



MASSACHUSETTS IIORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



From a letter Avritteii by Robert Manning, secretary of the Massachusetts 

 society, and an address by the venerable President Wilder, we glean as follows : 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society was organized in 1829, and there- 

 fore has, in its age, turned a half century. The first president was Henry A. 

 S. Dearborn, and from the organization it started out for a library of refer- 

 ence, and the result is the best horticultural library in the world. This society 

 was broad in its objects from the first, looking toward improvement in every 

 department of horticulture. It founded that beautiful cemetery. Mount 

 Auburn, and has maintained regular exhibitions of horticultural products 

 from its organization. 



The improvement of varieties was entered upon systematically, and through 

 the exhibition of the products, thus obtained, an immense number of new 

 and valuable plants and fruits have been brought out to benefit American 

 horticulture. 



Careful attention has been given to nomenclature, and the Massachusetts soci- 

 ety has done more than any other in clearing up the confusion of names in this 

 country. It has brought out some of the best of our apples, pears, strawber- 

 ries and grapes ; has developed and placed before the public many of our most 

 beautiful flowering shrubs ; and has developed a taste for studies in landscape 

 art which has spread from town to town, and State to State, until ifc may be 

 truthfully remarked that our whole country is very largely indebted to this 

 pioneer horticultural society for a large measure of its horticultural progress. 



This Society in its officers has some peculiarities. Aside from a Recording 

 Secretary elected at the annual meeting, a Secretary is appointed by the Exec- 

 utive committee. The Treasurer is appointed in the same way. No person is 

 eligible to the presidency unless he has been a member of the society for the 

 three years preceding an election. Two professors are elected at the annual 

 meeting, one of Botany and one of Entomology. 



The work of the society is largely in the hands of ten standing committees 

 composed of fifty-two members in aggregate. These committees are chosen 

 bv ballot at tlie annual meetins:. 



The constitution of the society instructs the president, at a specified date 

 preceding a regular election, to appoint a committee on nomination of officers. 



In answer to some of the interrogatories sent him. Secretary Manning says : 



*' We do not have State aid. The method of work is mainly through offering 

 prizes for horticultural products ; through discussions of horticultural subjects 

 in the winter months, and through the library. In the fifty years of its 

 existence the Society has given full one hundred thousand dollars in premiums 

 and other rewards to those who have been instrumental in the advancement of 

 horticulture. Besides the annual exhibition in September, and special shows 

 of Indian Azaleas, Pelargoniums, Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Roses, 

 Strawberries, Chrysanthemums, etc., weekly shows are held through the 

 summer months. This is the main reliance for the promotion of the objects 

 of the Society. We are now preparing the schedule of prizes for 1880. The 

 discussions are quite fully reported in the transactions of the Society. The 

 library is doubtless the best of its kind in the country, and we know of no 



