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lin who drew the electric spark from the clouds and held 

 it ill his hand ; to Morse who trained it in the way it should 

 go, and taught it to speak all the languages of the globe ; 

 to Field who laid that mystic wire in the fathomless 

 depths of old ocean from continent to continent ; to your 

 own Peabody, whose munificent bequests are the praise of 

 all people, whose remaius were sent home under royal 

 convoy, here to rest in the bosom of your own soil ; and 

 to Ames, all honor to his name, to whose indomitable 

 energy and perseverance, we are indebted more than to 

 any other man, for opening up a £:rand highway for 

 nations across this continent in all coming time. 



You have alluded to me, sir, in connection with the 

 great industrial pursuits of our country, lithank you for 

 your recognition of the American Pomological Society, 

 which is also to celebrate its twenty-tifth anniversary in 

 Boston next September, when 1 hope we may be honored 

 with a large delegation from your institution, and where 

 you will be cordially received by its first president, al- 

 though I hope he may not be its last. Nor would I forget 

 how much we are indebted to Essex County, especially to 

 Salem for the promotion of the agriculture and horticulture 

 of our land. Here was planted by Gov. Endicott one of 

 the lirst, if not the first nursery, and the first pear tree in 

 New England of which we have any account, and I am 

 happy to know that the old nionuineiital tree still survives. 

 Here were planted just fifty years ago the Pomological 

 Gardens of Salem, in which still live many noble trees as 

 grand memorials of the planter, Robert Manning, to whom 

 Mr. President, you alluded in your opening remarks. To 

 him and to his son of the same name, who resides on the 

 old homestead, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society 

 and the country are indcl)ted largely for the services they 

 have rendered to the cause of American Pomology. These 



