BOSTON AND VICINITY. 29 



treasurer of the Horticultural Society, was, and is still, 

 famous for the size and beauty of its fruit, produced by 

 pruning his trees into the shape of a wine-glass. 



And here, in the Dorchester district, if I may be per- 

 mitted to allude to it, are the experimental grounds of 

 the writer, formerly the estate of Gov. Increase Sumner, 

 which, at the time of his death, 1799, passed into the 

 hands of his son, Gen. William H. Sumner, one of the 

 founders of the Horticultural Society, and finally to 

 its present owner. On these experimental grounds 

 have been produced, under the personal inspection 

 of its present proprietor, within the last fifty years, 

 more than twelve hundred varieties of fruits, and 

 from thence there was exhibited, on one occasion, 

 four hundred and four distinct varieties of the pear. 

 Here was originated, by the art of hybridization, the Ca- 

 mellias Wilderi and Mrs. Abby Wilder, which received, 

 more than thirty years ago, a special prize of fifty 

 dollars; also the Mrs. Julia Wilder, the Jennie Wilder, 

 and other Camellias of great perfection, and from this 

 place went to the Boston Public Garden, on its founda- 

 tion, in the year 1839, the entire collection of green- 

 house and garden plants to which we have alluded 

 before. 



Roxbury was noted for its interest in fruit culture 

 at an early period, as has been seen by the statement 

 of Chief Justice Paul Dudley, already quoted. This 

 town was remarkable for its production of apples and 

 the quantity of cider manufactured. The farm of 

 the late Ebenezer Seaver, member of Congress from 1803 

 to 1813, was distinguished for the culture of fruit 

 This estate has passed regularly down in the family line 

 through Joshua, Jonathan, the Ebenezer Seavers, and the 

 Parkers, lineal descendants, who now reside on it. In 

 the account books of Jonathan Seaver, from 1731 and 



