i6o Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



purple grapes, weighing eleven pounds, from a vine imported from 

 Gibraltar by Captain Urann, of Dorchester ; fifty-tive sorts of apples 

 from John Prince, of Roxbury ; E. Weston, Jr., of Duxbury, Mass., 

 exhibited apples from a seedling tree nearly one. hundred years old, 

 which had been known to have borne in a single year seventy-six 

 bushels of sound, ripe fruit. We don't hear of such apple trees now- 

 adays. The Duchesse d'Angouleme pear, now grown almost as 

 extensively as the Bartlett, was first exhibited on the tables of the 

 society, October 16, 1S30, by S. G. Perkins. It was thought to be 

 the first specimen produced in this country. In a note accompanying 

 the fruit Mr. Perkins said, " This precious pear, which keeps till 

 December, was found, a few years since, in a hedge near Angers, in 

 France. The tree is a great bearer." The specimen exhibited meas- 

 ured eleven and one third inches in ciixumference, and was the only 

 one grown on a small tree. Trees of this pear, one year from the 

 bud, sold readily the next spring at five dollars each. Samuel R. 

 Johnson, of Charlestown, Mass, exhibited Bolmer's Washington plum, 

 of which he had sold about fifty dollars worth per annum from a 

 single tree in his yard for three years. The ravages of tlie ct.rcLdio 

 were not so extensive then as at present. 



The second anniversary of the society was celebrated at the Ex- 

 change Coffee House this year, the address being delivered in the 

 lecture-room of the Athenaeum, then on Pearl Street, by Z. Cook, Jr. 

 The tables were splendidly arrayed with flowers and fruits, including 

 bunches of Black Hamburg grapes, weighing two and two and a 

 quarter pounds each, raised by Mr. Lowell, and Ebenezer Breed, <»f 

 Charlestown. Several distinguished strangers were present as in- 

 vited guests, and, with speeches and toasts, and songs by Mr. Finn 

 and Mr. Andrews, of the Tremont Theatre, three hours were pleas- 

 antly passed at the table. Mr. Pierpont was chaplain on the occa- 

 sion, as was the Rev. Mr. Greenwood on the first anniversary. Mr, 

 Cook was toastmastcr on both occasions. It is a noticeable fact, that 

 of the thirty gentlemen (Governor Lincoln and others) who ollbred 

 volunteer toasts on this occasion, all have " passed on " except three — 

 John C. Gray, Dr. Storer, and Dr. Shurtlcir. /?. 



