Fruits in Kentucky. 93 



friends and guests, to the number of about one hundred and sixty, sat 

 down to a sumptuous dinner, which was enHvened with speeches and 

 toasts, and songs from Mr. Finn and Mr. Andrews of the Tremont 

 Theatre. Mr. Downer toasted his " native " fruits. 



I was amused, in looking over a Boston publication, some twelve or 

 fifteen years ago, which gave an account of the various institutions 

 of the city ; amongst others that of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society, which, it stated, was established by the exertions of three 

 or four gentlemen, whose names were given. With one exception, 

 those gentlemen, as I happen to know, were all indifferent, and one of 

 them decidedly opposed to the measure. Such is history, — some- 

 times ! /?. 



Washington, D. C, October, 1869. 



[We hope that our correspondent who has prepared this interesting 

 account of the early days of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 may be induced to continue it, as we believe that the labors of this 

 society have had a widely beneficial effect, and that a corresponding 

 interest will be felt in its history. — Ed.] 



FRUITS IN KENTUCKY. 



By " Woodman." 



That certain varieties of fruit succeed well in one locality, and are 

 a failure in others, is a horticultural fact which every intelligent and 

 observing individual now admits. No one truth connected with horti- 

 culture is more beneficial, because we are thereby enabled to select 

 such varieties as are known to succeed, or we are restrained from plant- 

 ing largely, in untried fields, of certain kinds, until the matter is defi- 

 nitely ascertained by careful experiment. 



Had this fact been generally understood years ago, instead of seeing 

 vast barren orchards here and there through the country, we would see, 

 almost annually, superior crops of excellent fruits on every hand. In 



