18 



THE PRESIDENT OF THE MASS. HOUT. SOCIETY. 



the quince stock some of liis trees have 

 borne a barrel in a season. He has exhi- 

 bited one hundred and sixty varieties of this 

 fruit at a single show of the Massachusetts 

 Society, and°his garden now contains more 

 than five hundred sorts of pears from all 

 parts of the world, either in bearing or 

 under cultivation for proving their value for 

 the American soil or climate. 



Among exotic plants the Camellia was 

 long ago his favorite. His collection at 

 one time embraced nearly three hundred 

 sorts, comprising every novelty extant. Ap- 

 plying, with his usual success, hybridiza- 

 tion to this genus of plants, he has been 

 successful in producing two new varieties 

 of surpassing beauty — not excelled by the 

 most perfect productions of Europe. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society 

 tAvo years ago voted him a special prize of 

 silver plate for those beautiful acquisitions 

 to the domains of Flora.* 



Col. Wilder's devotion to horticulture, 

 his libfrality in imparting information, how- 

 ever dearly bought, and in distributing 

 seeds, plants, and scions to parts of the 

 country where their value would be appre- 

 ciated,' or whence some excellent native 

 production was offered in exchange, have 

 made him known as a benefactor to those 

 wh) live "amid gardens and green fields" 

 in all parts of the Union. 



We may remark, in conclusion, that it 

 would be difficult to present to the contem- 

 plation of our readers an instance of an in- 

 dividual who so Completely accomplishes all 

 the laborious duties of a life of large mer- 

 cantile pursuits, and yet who at the same 

 time makes his few hours of leisure, each 

 day, tell so emphatically for his own happi- 

 ness, and the benefit of his fellow cultiva- 

 tors of the soil, in all parts of the country. 

 It is only indeed by making horticulture 

 the great u-orking pastime of his life, that 

 he has been able to accomplish so much. 

 But can one hold up a belter example to 

 the emulation of those citizens who find no- 

 thing to do in the country, and no occupation 



* These two Camellias were HHmed by the society, C. Wil- 

 derii and C Mrs \Vilder. We may give our farming read- 

 ers some idea of the commercial value of new and rare plants 

 by remarking tlat the stock of these two varieties was pur- 

 chased by a nurseryman for Sl.OOO, who immediately went 

 to Europe, where, we learn, he disposed of them by subscrip- 

 tion, at ten guineas the pair. 



there, worthy of engaging their energies and 

 their industriously accumulated fortunes? 



For ourselves, we rejoice in the long- 

 sought opportunity and means of presenting 

 to our young readers, and to gentlemen of 

 opulence and leisure, even this brief sketch 

 of what has been done by a single citizen, 

 to investigate the merits and perfect the 

 properties of our flowers and fruits ; much 

 as it falls short of giving a full idea of his 

 contributions to an elegant and intellectual 

 pursuit — one that at once denotes, accele- 

 rates and adorns in all countries, the pro- 

 gress of civilization. Nor can the full mea- 

 sure of honor due to such citizens as Col. 

 Wilder and his associates, for the strong 

 lead they have taken, as well in the science 

 as in the practice of horticulture, be pro- 

 perly estimated without making large al- 

 lowance for the rigors of the climate with 

 which they have had to contend. In more 

 genial regions. Nature scatters profusely 

 her beautiful creations, with open hand — 

 without waiting for Art to assist, or Indus- 

 try to serve her — while in the north, she 

 yields them only, if not reluctantly, to the 

 most skillful and assiduous importunities. 

 But to these she does give them in such 

 variety and richness, as none can appreciate 

 who have not witnessed an exhibition of 

 the society over which Col. Wilder pre- 

 sides. Well do we remember when, on 

 our first entrance into Hawthorn Grove, 

 •' The perfumed air 



Gave another sense, its prelude rich 



Of what the eye should feast." 

 Since that time, always — and we may 

 say habitually — holding in high compara- 

 tive estimation the beauty and the useful- 

 ness of lives and labors thus devoted to 

 peaceful and meliorating pursuits, we have 

 been anxious, in a sense of duty, and for 

 the good of society, (least of all for his own 

 sake,) to pay to the proprietor the very 

 inadequate homage which here we render. 

 For the painting from which the en- 

 graving has been made, we are indebted to 

 the artist, Mr. Marchant of this city, in 

 whose collection it still remains — a true 

 presentment of the estimable original, as 

 far as Art can supply one. The engraving, 

 as will be seen, is by Mr. Jackman, and 

 does him credit as a worker in that, one of 

 the finest among the fine arts. 



