292 Quarter Centennial jinnire?'sa?y of^m. ^omological Society. 



shadowed valley. A climbing fern at Beethoven's feet is anibitionsly trying to reach 

 his height. Vain attempt ; it stops short not more than quarter of the way up. and 

 droops its green, tiny flowers in sheer weariness and disappointment. Delicate 

 maiden's hair shows its fairylike traceries against the brown of the organ carvings. 

 The scene is lovely from every point. It is the luxuriance of perpetual tropical 

 summers, and the glories of the sadly miscalled temperate autumns. One has 

 grown rank and large in scarcely varying warmth ; the other brilliant with the fer- 

 vent, burning heat of the short New England summer. Prettily-dressed women are 

 wandering up and down the improvised garden walks, or are leaning over the bal- 

 conies looking down into fairy-land. They tell secrets under the shade of spreading 

 palm trees, who have hitherto been content to exchange confidences under pine, or 

 elm or maple. They talk of winter costumes while standing by a tropical fern, and 

 are alternately enthusiastic or matter-of-fact, as they vary their conversation from 

 autumn flowers to autumn cares. They play at cross purposes with life here as well 

 as elsewhere ; but the flowers, even, are brighter for the gay, human presence, and 

 surely that group of pretty girls are prettier for their surroundings." 



Discussions, linteftitiiunents. 



Amid so many objects of delight, it was difficult to bring the attention of the 

 delegates closely down to thorough business. The audience was constantly changing. 

 Horticulturists drifted away and spent a day at Forest Grove or Mount Auburn 

 Cemetery, others could not resist special invitations to the residences of Mr. Payson, 

 E. S. Rand, Jr., Chas S. Sargent, Hovey & Co., while the entire society, to the 

 number of 200 or more indulged in one day's festivities, with breakfast at the resi- 

 dence of Wm. Gray, Jr., with an afternoon's ride and dinner at the far-famed Italian 

 gardens, lakes and conservatories of H. H. Hunnewell, at Wellesley. Of the entire 

 catalogue of fruits, only apples, pears and grapes were discussed, and these not thor- 

 oughly. Essays were almost entirely omitted reading, although there was much 

 disposition to call for them ; the order of business was so changed that the former 

 process of starring was totally discontinued. This will hereafter be done by the 

 proper fruit committees. In open convention the members in discussion have liberty 

 to make remarks for or against any variety, mainly to show reason why its position 

 in the society's catalogue be changed. 



I'resident's Address, Preinitiins. 



The President, in his most happy mood, felicitously described the progress of 

 the Society up to the present time, and contrasted it with the marvellous results 

 shown in the production of fruit everywhere throughout the Union. He men- 

 tioned at length the efforts for production of new seedling fruits and recommended 

 increased attention to this branch, preferring that we depend more upon our own 

 native sorts than on foreign stock Where formerly we were obliged to rely upon 

 imported kinds for our best fruit, now they are disappearing and new sorts take 

 their places. 



Of the 43 kinds of plums in our catalogue, more than half are American ; of 58 

 kinds of peaches, more than two-thirds are American ; of 19 kinds of strawberries 

 recommended by the Society, all but three are American ; of 31 varieties of hardy 



