HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 93 



come to stay with the best free educators of our laud. There 

 will be discouragemeuts and dark days for this enterprise, but it 

 will end in either the government or private capital undertak- 

 ing this great work. 



It is hoped that every member of this Society has enlisted in 

 this great cause for life; and will never let go of the idea that 

 forests should be protected, and new plantations made on all un- 

 occupied waste places, to be of benefit to some one; if not to our- 

 selves, to the generations to follow. 



Trees like men begin to show age and decay at the top; but 

 men unlike trees, return to their second childhood, and if an ac- 

 tive, useful, energetic man in youth, they never lose opportunity 

 for doing or saying something as a source of^ure enjoyment; and 

 I would inquire what more impressiv^e scene of unalloyed sacri- 

 fice, than this useful employment in planting trees in their de- 

 clining years for future generations to admire; living monuments 

 that shall long remain for our children to appreciate; silent re 

 minders of thoughtful, industrious usefulness? 



I can give no more fitting words j)erhaps as a closing valedic- 

 tion, than a quotation from a charming fable written two cen- 

 turies ago, by La Fontaine, from the Montreal reports of 1881; 

 it runs thus: 



"An old man of eighty was planting some trees, 



Three lusty young neighbors drew near — 

 ' To build would be odd, but still stranger to plant, 



Our friend has grown foolish we fear! 

 In the name of all conscience,' said they with a smile, 



' What harvest for you will these bear ? 

 Your age of four-score has no future to boast. 



Why cumber it thus with more care ? 

 'Tis ouly for you to repent of the past. 



Throw future designs to the air! ' 



" The old man looked up and sagely replied: 



'Yon speak of my hopes and your own; 

 Life's enterprise often is left incomplete. 



Though begun on the threshold of youth. 

 For fate unrelenting may sport with your hopes, 



As much as it may with my j-ears. 

 The chances of life render equal its span, 



Though unequal to youth it appears. 

 And which think ye, the last of the four, 



Will behold the bright rays of the sun ? 

 Does this moment assure you another is yours 



To finish your labors begun? 



