HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 81 



special lines of work, but these we should willingly and freely 

 impart to each other. 



The dissemination of horticultural instruction and knowledge 

 in the past has nearly all been by individuals or organizations 

 similarly situated as ours; and very largely dependent upon the 

 efforts and exertions of a very few persons, whose love, tastes, 

 desires and interests inclined them to contribute their time, tal- 

 ents and wealth towards its advancement. 



The progressive horticulturists of our country have great rea- 

 son to be thankful for the spirit of interest manifested by the 

 commissioner of agriculture in forming a division of pomology; 

 also we should feel grateful to know our state superintendent of 

 public instruction is trying to formulate some method whereby 

 the children of our common schools shall be taught the first rud- 

 iments of this very useful, refining art — horticulture. If we 

 could devise some expeditious method of proijagating and in- 

 creiisingthe horticultural missionary spirit among our members, 

 by breathing into them greater ardor, and endowing them with 

 greater courage, we should hope for greater immediate success 

 in developing this industry, of so much importance to the future 

 welfare and happiness of ourselves and children. 



Our work as a Society thus far has been largely of a mission- 

 ary character; trying to teach our brother co-workers a few of 

 the simpler principles of success and how to shun some of our 

 individual errors, failures, losses and discouragements; each 

 vying with the other in trying to disseminate some new fact or 

 opinion worthy of remembrance. 



When we look back over our past history and note the ad- 

 vancement that has been made in horticulture, we have great 

 reason for congratulation and inward pride in knowing that 

 this time has not all been spent in vain, trying to forward the 

 interests of an industry of so much worth and imj)ortance. All 

 of us may not have used our talents or our efforts to the best 

 and wisest end, but have tried to do something in our particular 

 lines of work. 



Pardon me for taking a retrospective glance to the colonial 

 days of this great republic, and quoting a few facts from the re- 

 ports that have not been placed upon any page of our state hor- 

 ticultural transactions : 



"The first production of the soil which our forefathers found 

 when they landed on^the',cheerless shore of Massachusetts Bay, 

 except the leafless forest trees of December, was some seed of 



Vol. IV— 11. 



