Massachusetts Horticnlliiral (Society. 463 



Gov. Seward, after relating some of his own Horticultural labors, con- 

 tinued as follows : — 



But, Mr. President, what was said in honor of the State of New York? 

 I should deem myself exceedingly unfortunate if a compliment to that State, 

 which is my native State, my native country, should find me obliged, as a 

 matter of compliment, or as a matter of interest, to affect a respect for the 

 State of Massachusetts which was foreign to my heart, and foreign to my 

 lips. It is true, of the State of New York, that she is distinguished for 

 extent of territory, for greatness of resources, and for a vast population, but 

 it is also true that she is a State founded, not by one homogeneous people, but 

 that she was a colony planted by the various nations of Europe ; and that 

 it is not her province, it is not in all her past fate, to originate great enter- 

 prises, in Government, in Literature, or in Science ; but that she follows, 

 and follows kindly, and faithfully, and vigorously, those states which were 

 planted by the Pilgrims of New England. 



And Massachusetts, I confess it here, I confess it on behalf of my own 

 State as well as of Massachusetts, the State of Massachusetts has been the 

 pioneer in all. She was the pioneer in agriculture. We saw the granite 

 soften, and the soil grow green under the feet of the people of Massachu- 

 setts, before agriculture became our care. We are a great commercial 

 people ; but we learned our commerce from the town of Boston : I think we 

 are not an unpatriotic people; but we followed, and followed with some re- 

 luctance, the footsteps of those who were gathered in this venerable Hall. 

 We are not without pretensions to science and literature ; but the school- 

 master who educated us all, was sent from New England. 



So it is in this last, and this most gratifying demonstration of the spirit of 

 New England, this demonstration that Massachusetts has time to turn aside 

 from rugged labors, and may devote a portion of the wealth, and of the 

 time, and of the talent of its citizens, to the cultivation of the garden, and 

 of fruit. Now, Mr. President, this is a subject worthy of Massachusetts. 

 She is not doomed to it by any peculiar sterility of her soil, for the garden 

 gives but few spontaneous fruits to man ; while, on the other hand, there is 

 no place on the " footstool" upon which we are situated, to which we can- 

 not bring exotics from every clime. There is no land that " overflows with 

 milk and honey" perpetually. France, now the land of the vine and the 

 olive, the land of fruits and flowers ; France, as we all recollect, borrowed 

 her choicest grapes from Cyprus, and the mulberry is an exotic in her bor- 

 ders. 



It is therefore for Massachusetts to lead in the career of refinement, of 

 Horticulture, which she has so nobly commenced. You have already ad- 

 verted to the influences which so noble a career must exercise upon the 

 welfare of her own people, and it is only to consider that reflected, to know 

 what must be its influences upon the whole American people. 



I will advert to but one topic further. When I look around me upon this 

 great and brilliant presence, it seems to revive the spirit of the Middle Ages, 

 when woman was exalted to be almost the first in heaven and first on 

 earth ; when woman presided in the distribution of the wreaths which were 



