BOSTON AND VICINITY. 13 



of beauty and enchantment I shall never forget. 1 Here 

 were growing in the open air Black Hamburg and 

 White Chasselas grapes, apricots, nectarines, peaches, 

 pears and plums in perfection, presenting a scene 

 which made a deep impression on my mind, arid which 

 gave me some of those strong incentives that have 

 governed me in the cultivation of fruits and flowers. 

 Here were many ornamental trees brought from foreign 

 lands ; one of which, the Salisburia adiantifolia, the 

 Japan Ginkgo tree, was removed through the personal 

 efforts of the late- Dr. Jacob Bigelow and planted 

 on the upper city mall where it now stands. 



Nearly down to Tremont street was the house of the 

 late Doctor Samuel A. Shurtleff, one of the early vice- 

 presidents of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 in whose garden was originated the Shurtleff grape 

 and other fruits, now growing on his estate in Brook- 

 line ; on the latter estate were raised from seed the 

 President, General Grant, Admiral Farragut, and 

 other Pears, varieties which should be more generally 

 known. 



One of the largest gardens of that day was 

 that of Governor James Bowdoin, to which we have 

 referred. He had a large house and an extensive lot 

 of land on Beacon street at the corner of Bowdoin 

 street, reaching quite over the hill to what is now 

 Ashburton Place. There he had a garden abounding 

 in the finest fruits, pears and peaches, apples and 

 grapes. Hon. James Bowdoin, his son, resided on Milk 

 btreet, in the house where our honored citizen, the 

 Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, was born, known as the 

 " Mansion House." This garden extended back 

 almost to Franklin street, and was filled with fruit 



1 See frontispiece of Boston Memorial, Vol. IV. 



