294 



MASSACHUSETTS HORT. SOCIETY. 



flower baskets by Miss Russell, and the designs composed of 

 our beautiful native grasses, by Miss Bowker and Mrs. ,Spar- 

 rell, and a moss vase ornamented witli the acorn and snow- 

 drop, by " Faiuiy Forrester," were chaste, and attracted mitch 

 attention. The variety of vegetables was not numerous, but 

 nearly all the specimens were good. Mr. Cole presented 

 tliirty distinct varieties of potatoes, fifteen of which were 

 seedhngs, which entitle that gentleman to a particular no- 

 tice in the vegetable report. The display of fruits was de- 

 cidedly the best and most abundant in specimens ever made 

 by the Society. The apples were fair, of good size, well 

 colored, and fine in flavor. The variety of Peaches and 

 Quinces was small, and all but one or two of the samples 

 quite ordinary. There were some excellent specimens of 

 plums. In grapes the varieties were more numerous, and the 

 quality more delicious and better matured than on any former 

 occasion. 



Mr. Needham was the successful competitor; his Canon 

 Hall Muscats were larger in buuch and berry, than any ever 

 before shown. Mr. Allen had the largest number of speci- 

 mens, all of which were fine. The Wilmot's Black Ham- 

 burgh, by Messrs. Hovey, were extra fine and well ripened, 

 and the collections of Messrs. Young, Donald, and Towne, 

 were very good. 



The great feature of the exhibition was the array of pears, 

 which was undoubtedly the most valuable ever made in this 

 country. The majority of the specimens were rather above 

 their average in size, fair, highly colored, well marked in fea- 

 ture, and of good quality, -^bout fifty new varieties of pears 

 have been I'ruited for the first time in this country, and it is 

 believed that many of them will prove to be valuable acquisi- 

 tions, and will hereafter take rank in classes numbers one 

 and two. The new varieties were mostly in the large col- 

 lections of Col. Wilder, Mr. Manning, and Hovey & Co. The 

 contributions of fruits particularly worthy of special refer- 

 ence, were those from the Pomological (jardens of Mr Man- 

 ning, Salem, who had two hundred and fifly-five varieties of 

 pears ; Col. Wilder, one hundred and sixty : Hovey & Co., 

 seventy, more than half of which were new; J. Lovett 2d, 

 about eighty; .Samuel Walker, sixty; Otis Johnson, Lynn, 

 sixty ; Winships, lirighton, forty ; Mr. Allen, Salem, grapes, 

 pears, peaches, and figs ; Mr. Warren, Brighton, grapes, ap- 

 ples, and pears; .1. Stickney. peaches, pears, and apples; B. 

 V. French, Braintree, sixty-six varieties of apples; Cheever 

 Newhall, pears; E M. Richards, Dedham, apples; F. W. 

 Macondray, pears; S. Pond, extra fine Williams' Bon Chre- 

 tien pears ; E. Wight, Dedham, apples ; J. M. Ives, Salem, 

 pears; R, Crooker, Roxbury, in par'icular. extra fine Van 

 Mons Leon le Clerc pears; Horace Gray, by J. Donald, a 

 collection of well grown grapes; H. Vandine, pears, and 

 extra fine Coe's Golden Drop Plum ; J. Owen, Cambridge, 

 peaches and apples ; J. French, pears ; N. Stetsou, Bridge- 

 water, fine seedling peaches, and extra fine Crawford's late ; 

 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, pears and apples; W. 

 Stearns, Salem, pears; A. D. Williams & Sons, pears and 

 apples. A remark was made that our nurserymen and ama- 

 teurs were bestowing too much time and money on the cul- 

 tivation of the pear to the neglect of the apple. Whether 

 this be true or otherwise, the Committee must leave for the 

 future to decide. 



There were four large baskets of rich assorted fruits worthy 

 of particular mention : One from Otis Johnson, containing 

 grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, plums, apples, &c.; one 

 from Col.T. H. Perkins, by Wm. Quant, with grapes, peaches, 

 and pears; one from A. Bowditch, with grapes in variety; 

 and another from Capt. Macondry, with grapes, peaches, 

 pears, and apples. These were prominent objects upon the 

 centre tables, and elicited much attention from the beautiful 

 arrangements of the various specimens. 



The Society was honored by the attendance of Delegates 

 fram the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelpnia j 



American Institute, New-York; New- York State Agricultu- 

 ral .Society; Worcester Hort. .Society; New Haven county Hort. 

 Society; Rhode Island Hort. Society; Long Island Hort. 

 Society; Pomological Society, New Haven; Albany and 

 Rensselaer Horticultural Society, and a volunteer delegate 

 from our own Berkshire. These several delegates were duly 

 honored and cared for by the Vice Presidents of the Society. 

 This anniversary has been particularly profitable, as well in 

 the interchange of civilities, as in imparling and receiving 

 much information on stibjeets of horticulture and pomology, 

 and in the severe tests which many varieties of fruits have 

 been put to before large and intelligent boards of scientific 

 men. Our numerous meelings were thus made instructive 

 as well as pleasant and agreeable in friendlv reciprocities. 



The weather during the exhibition was favorable, and the 

 hall filled most of the time to its utmost capacity of accommo- 

 dation, by delighted audiences. It has now been provedto a 

 demonstration, that the hall is not of competent size to contain 

 near all the specimens oflered for exhibition ; and the Com- 

 mittee owe an apology to several for whom space could not 

 be made for their valuable collections, and which remained 

 unpacked, and were not shown. Tne Committee name this 

 at the pre.sent time in the hope that measures will be taken, 

 at an early day, to secure Faneuil Hall, or some other large 

 building, for the exhibition of 1348. 



The Committee trust that the awards of the judges will be 

 satisfactory, and that the premiums have been be.-towed upon 

 those justly entitled to receive them. 



For the Committee, Henry W. Dutton, Chairman. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the Mass. Hort. Society, was held 

 at its Hall, on the 2d of October, when the following gentle- 

 men were elected officers of the Society for the year lte48: 



President— Marshall P. Wilder. 



Vice-Presidents — B. V. French, Cheever Newhall, E. M. 

 Richards, J S. Cabot. 



Treasurer — Samuel AValker. 



Corresponding Secretary — J. E. Teschemaeher. 



Recording Secretary — E. C. R. Walker 



Professor of Botany and Vegetable Physiology — John Lewis 

 Russell, A. M. 



Professor of Entomology — T. W. Harris, M D. 



Professor of Horticultural Chemis'ry — E. N. Horsford. 



Committee on Fruits — Samuel Walker, Chairman; P. B. 

 Hovey, Jr.. Otis Johnson, David Haggerston, J. S. Cabot, 

 Eben Wight, F. W. Macondry. 



Committee on Plants and Flowers — Joseph Breck, Chair- 

 man ; H. W. Dutton, W. E. Carter. Alex McLellaii, F. A. 

 Story, William Quant, William B. Richards. 



Committee on Vegetables — A. D. Williams, Jr., Chairman; 

 W. R. Kingsbury, A. D. Williams, Josiah Newhall, James 

 Nugent, Azell Bowditch, E. C. R. Walker. 



Committee on the Library — C K. Dillaway, Chairman ; R. 

 M. Copeland, Joseph Breck, W. B. Richards. 



Committee on Synonyms of Fruit — M P. Wilder, Chair- 

 man; B V. French, C. M. Hovey, J. S. Cabot, the Chairman 

 of the Fruit Committee. 



Executive Cowmirteg— The President, Chairman ; the Trea- 

 surer, A Aspinwidl, E. M. Richards, Otis Johnson. 



Coftitnittee for Establishing Premiums — The Chairman of 

 the Committee on Fruits, Chairman; the Chairman of the 

 Committee on Flowers, the Chairman of the Committee 

 on Vegetables, C. M. Hovey, David Haggerston. 



Finance Committee — Josiah Stickney, Chairman, Joseph 

 Balch, F. W. Macondry. 



Committee of Publication — J. E. Teschemaeher, Chairman; 

 C. K. Dillaway, Eben. Wight, Recording .Secretary, Chairman 

 of the Committee on Fruits, the Chairman of the Committee 

 on Flowers, the Chairman of the Committee on Vegetables. 



■ fi,uVMU\.i.v\ 1o Xi.'ir 3iiJ iii Ilismaginiioaua'io Jujssv a Oj yiiv; 



