26 THE HORTICULTURE OF 



birds; "for we found they were quite fond of cherries, 

 and took their full share." 3 



In regard to the environs of our city, we would state 

 that from a very early period these have been cele- 

 brated for their elegant estates, fine gardens, and for 

 the rural adornments bestowed on them by our wealthy 

 merchants and citizens, who, as the city increased, 

 required more room for commercial purposes, and 

 transplanted many of their trees and plants to their 

 country homes. Dorchester, Roxbury, Brookline, and 

 Cambridge, were famous in early history for their interest 

 in agricultural and horticultural improvement. For the 

 first twenty years of the existence of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, Roxbury and Dorchester fur- 

 nished all the presidents and treasurers of that institu- 

 tion. 



In Dorchester were the gardens and orchards of 

 some of the first settlers, and some of the old pear 

 trees planted by them have survived to the present 

 time. Of those in the present century which have been 

 more or less noted we may mention the estates of the 

 Reverend Dr. Thaddeus Mason Harris, 2 William Clapp, 

 Ebenezer T. Andrews the partner of Isaiah Thomas, of 

 Samuel Downer, Cheever Newhall, Zebedee Cook, 

 Elijah Yose, William Oliver, John Richardson, William 

 R. Austin. From other gardens have gone forth many of 

 the choice fruits which are now in cultivation, such as 

 the Downer cherry, the Andrews, Frederick Clapp, the 

 Harris, the Clapp's Favorite, and other seedling pears, 

 and we hope the last named may endure even longer 

 than the marble on which its form is engraved in 



1 Letter of Thomas Motley. 



2 Dr. Harris was a lover of fine fruit, and once said to the writer, "Your 

 exhibition of pears is grand ; but there is one variety that I miss, the Bon 

 Chretien (the good Christian). I shall bring some from my garden tomorrow. 



