25 



ductiou iuto general use the best of varieties of fruits, fairly entitle 

 liim to be ranked aiuoug the public benefactors. 



His example seemed to inspire others and to awaken a new interest 

 in this pursuit. The ueighborhood soon became famous for its gar- 

 dens, in which his ma.v be considered as the centre, around which the 

 others crystallized and took form. 



The operations in the garden were not suspended in consequence 

 of his death, but were continued many years afterwards ; the mantle 

 having seemed to fall naturally upon his eldest son, Robert Manning, 

 who inherited the horticultural zeal and tastes of the father; and, 

 having such a prestige, and such an accumulation of experience, 

 was enabled, though a young man, to advance greatly horticultural 

 knowledge and to take a high rank among the horticulturists of the 

 country. 



John C. Lee commenced operations in the spring of 1831 ; John M. 

 Ives in 1836, on the estate now owned by George F. Brown ; Charles 

 F. Putnam and brothers in 1841 ; Pickering Dodge, Francis Peabody, 

 James Upton and others in succession. From these gardens many 

 valuable and important contributions to the horticultural exhibitions 

 in years past were received. Besides the culture of fruit trees, 

 Messrs. Eben and Francis Putnam were successful in the cultivation 

 of the rose, and of this flower no less than five or. six hundred vari- 

 eties bloomed in the month of June, constituting one of the chief 

 attractions of the city some twenty and twenty-five years since. At 

 the same period, and for manj' years before and since, the garden of 

 Joseph S. Cabot was conspicuous for the magnificent display of tulips, 

 comprising some six or seven hundred varieties, and for a large col- 

 lection of choice herbaceous plants which kept a succession of 

 blooms during the season. 



On the 28th of July, 1853, flowered in the green-house of J. Fiske 

 Allen on Chestnut street,, a plant of the Victoi'ia Regia, the great 

 water lily of the Amazon, the seed having been obtained of Caleb 

 Cope of Philadelphia, and planted in the early part of the December 

 previous. The following season, 1854, Mr. Allen enlarged his house 

 and tank, and flowered several plants of this lilj' — the seed of some 

 were obtained from England and planted in March previous, the 

 others from the American plant. The climate in this house being 

 so modified by the surroundings that it was admirably fitted for the 

 growth of other tropical plants ; and Mr. Allen arranged a collection 

 of fine orchids, amarylUs, calla, nelumbium and other species of lilies 

 which grew well and produced beautiful flowers, and thus adding 

 greatly to the attraction of this structure, which was for several 

 weeks thronged with many visitors to witness the first blooming of 

 the Victoria in the New England States. Mr. Allen has published the 



Essex Inst. Bulletin. 4 



