LENAWEE COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 369 



roadside trees, in our beautiful cemetery; but best of all, perhaps, in the 

 society as we find it at this day, a vigorous and healthy child, inheriting 

 many, if not all, of the good traits of one of the best of pnrents. 



If time permitted I should be glad to mention some other matters not con- 

 templated in the original plans of the organization. People of all stations 

 in life were brought together — high and low, rich and poor, educated or not, 

 so that some of us who were somewhat sharp-cornered, it may have been, 

 were no doubt smoothed down a little and helped by contact with those of 

 better opportunities. 



And so, in closing, my desire is that we of this later day, who have such 

 a splendid inheritance from the fathers and mothers of our society, may 

 profit by their example and go on and up, not only willing to be benefited our- 

 selves, but ever ready to impart to those who for various reasons, cannot 

 join with us, as I fully believe there are but few open doors that offer better 

 opportunities of benefitting our fellows than the pursuit of horticulture. So 

 may our society not only be one of the oldest, but also one of the best and 

 most useful in the State. 



B. H. Steerb. 



A HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY. 



A short time ago I was asked by the chairman of your executive board 

 to prepare a short history of this society, and although he did not positively 

 limit me to six minutes of time in which to give you its history of thirty- 

 seven years, yet he hinted very plainly that only about that time could profit- 

 ably be devoted to that subject; and as I always think it better to take a 

 hint in preference to anything worse, this history must be very concise. 



Thirty-seven years ago tomorrow (the 15th of March, 1851,) a few gentle- 

 men interested in horticulture met at the office of R. H. Whitney, and after 

 canvassing the question at considerable length, of the culture of fruits, 

 flowers, and vegetables, which at that time was attracting considerable at- 

 tention, it was proposed to form a horticultural society, and Laugf ord G. Berry 

 was called to the chair, and F. R. Stebbins was chosen secretary yro tern. 

 Dr. Underwood, R. H. Whitney, B. F. Strang, Langford G-. Berry, and 

 George W. Merrick were made a committee to draft a constitution, and re- 

 port at the sarre place in one week, which duty they performed; and then 

 and there, on the 22d of March, 1851, the Adrian Horticultural Society had 

 its birth — and I always feel like honoring the men and women who, in that 

 early day, could look forward and see the good that necessarily must follow a 

 combined effort to introduce and propagate new and valuable fruits, flowers, 

 and vegetables. I would like to give the names of all who in its early days 

 gave aid and encouragement, by their attendance and exhibits ot the best 

 products of their gardens. 



Foremost among the active members are the names of Strang, Cornell, 

 Steere, Underwood, Lathrop, Scott, Smith — ''but hold I " names roll up be- 

 fore me, too numerous for mention. Yet I cannot withhold such familiar 

 names connected with this society as Mrs. A. J. Comstock, the Misses Dean, 

 and Ormsby, Mrs. Cooley, and Mrs. Dr. Webb. Others, perhaps equally 

 active and interested, occur to my mind, who added largely to the society by 

 their presence and exhibits of fruits, flowers and vegetables. 



47 



