DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



573 



of our '' Horticultural," which caruc o(T on the 

 18th of May. The Hull looked light ami cheerful 

 in itself, having been newly painted and arranged 

 — to say nothing of the Bffect produced by luscious 

 fruits and bright flower — nor must I fail to add, 



brighter eyes — for, as you are aware, the •' Hor- 

 ticultural " is the most fashionable of Saturday 

 • ounges in Boston. 



The show, though not large, was admirable — 

 and I must send you a few memoranda. 



In the first place, Mr. Allen, of Salem, (author 

 of the treatise on the vine,) made a grand display 

 of forced grapes; seventeen of the most beautiful 

 and delicious varieties, on the 18th of May, proved 

 that there are some authors who can practice as 

 well as preach. Besides this, be contributed ripe 

 and beautiful Hunt's Tawny Nectarines, May Duke 

 Cherries, and several fine sorts of figs — all ri- 

 pened under glass. 



Mr. Tudor, of Nahant, and Mr. Gordon, of 

 Brighton, both exhibited Easter Beurre pears, well 

 preserved and in good order. 



Mr. Crocker, (by Mr. Nef.dham ) exhibited a 

 fine sample of Black Hamburgh grapes. 



There was a beautiful array of cut flowers — the 

 principal contributors being Messrs. Walker, J. 

 A. Kenrick, A. Bowditch, J. Nugent, and 

 Lewis Davenport. In Mr. Davenport's col- 

 lection, I noticed tine specimens of the new Ver- 

 benas — Robinson's Defiance, and St. Margaret, as 

 well as the Newington Beauty Cineraria. 



Col. Wilder made quite a brilliant display of 

 new and beautiful exotics — about 40 pots in all — 

 and his Ericas were especially beautiful — a new 

 yellow variety attracting great attention. There 

 were four varieties of E. ventricosa. The finest 

 new Azaleas and Pelargoniums were also shown in 

 his collection. 



This gentleman also exhibited superb specimens 

 of "Downing's Colossal Rhubarb," which, as he 

 stated to various members present, he considered 

 superior to any other variety that he was ac- 

 quainted with, after having tested all the best 

 English sorts. I shall keep you advised of the 

 notabilia of the future shows, and meanwhile am 

 yours, A Looker-on in Boston. May 21, 1850. 



Cream Hill Vindicated. — Mr. Editor: Al- 

 though in replying to some criticisms on " Flow- 

 ers for the Million," by your correspondent, under 

 the name of Jeffreys, I may be exposed to the 

 same dilemma as the member of the Vermont 

 Legislature, when referring to the weak argu- 

 ment of his antagonist, remarked, that "it wrench- 

 es a body dreadfully to kick at nothing;" yet, 

 wishing to correct error, wherever found, and de- 

 fend the truth, whether ignorantly or designedly 

 assailed, I would ask a small space in your valua- 

 ble journal, for this purpose. 



Jeffreys takes " Cream Hill for his text," as he 

 says; to illustrate which, he makes a quotation, 

 " which, some, body has said and wrote it too — 

 who, 'tis no matter now — that ' naaa is an imita- 



tive animal.' " nnd further jays, that " to any one 

 conversant with American names of places, there 

 can be no manner of doubt that we are of the ge* 

 nus Imilatii — thorough.' - He then slides upon 

 " .Mrs. Primrose, Cherry and Strawberry Hills," 

 the ''Amblesidesand Sunnysides. Inglesides and all 

 the other sides," tails a story of "Rosemount," and 

 says that he has " known Hazle Woods which 

 bore nothing but pine trees," &c. 8tc, " by 

 which time the drift of his meaning," he says, "is 

 quite apparent." 



The plain English of all this, he would have 

 us understand, is, that the place of residence of 

 the author of " Flowers for the .Million," is named 

 Cream Hill, in imitation of the fashion, or resem- 

 blance to the practice of others, who have chosen 

 what he is pleased to call " laek-a-dasieal " 

 names, to designate the places of their residences. 



Now, never was any poor, bewildered wight, 

 more mistaken than our friend Jellreys. Neither 

 a "thorough imitutiveness ," or because of "a fine 

 dairy, redolent of aromatic grasses, of rich milk, 

 and delicious butter," with "a dish of ripe straw- 

 berries, smothered in cream" — although the latter 

 reasons may abound to the heart's content — consti- 

 tute the true reason for the name in question. 

 More than a century ago, the explorers of this 

 then new portion of New England, as they sur- 

 veyed its several hills, came upon one distin- 

 guished above its fellows, with marks of superior 

 richness of soil and beauty of scenery. As they 

 viewed its southern aspect, with its variegated 

 forests, its pretty lake, and, away in the distance, 

 as the eye encircled the wide horizon, embracing 

 many other hills, they involuntarily exclaimed. — 

 " This fair hill is the cream of the hills." From 

 that day to this has Cream Hill had a name and a 

 place. The earliest records of the town show the 

 name as contained in the various land conveyances 

 of that day. And from the very spot where these 

 pioneers of civilization beheld the magnificent sce- 

 nery which excited their admiration, is presented 

 to the eye a range of nearly one hundred miles in 

 extent, spread out, like some vast map, em- 

 bracing hills and vallyes, mountains and plains, 

 woodlands and meadows, cornfields and orchards, 

 with here the village spire, and there the clear 

 waters of the lake, sparkling in the sunbeams and 

 reflecting from its bosom the tall pines or oaks 

 which stand on its borders. While the more im- 

 mediate prospect is enlivened with here and there 

 some pretty cottage or neat farm house, in the 

 distance lowers the long blue range of tho Cats- 

 kills, whose lofty heads seem pillowed among the 

 clouds, and which, at sunset, are tinged with gol- 

 den colors, and cast their giant shadows far east- 

 ward, till the deepening shades ol evening conceal 



the wide-spread landscape from the view. 



Whether there is '•poetry'' in all this or not, one 

 thing is nearly certain, that should your honored 

 self, Mr. Editor, (and none could receive a more 

 cordial greeting,) or our friendJeHYeys, please to 

 honor Cream Hill with a visit, your own senses 



