80 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAT. SOCIETY. [1881. 



Tour attention has been invited, in former Reports, to the 

 invidious discrimination against the Real Estate of this Corpora- 

 tion which is practised by the Assessors of AVorcester. The 

 Constitution of Massachusetts declares that " it shall be the duty 

 of legislators and magistrates, in all future periods of this Com' 

 monwealth, to cherish the interests of Literature and the 

 Sciences, &c., to encourage private societies and public institu- 

 tions, rewards and immunities, for the promotion of agriculture, 

 arts, sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural 

 history of the country," &c., &c. In observance of that injunc- 

 tion, the General Statutes of the Commonwealth exempt from 

 Taxation : — 



"The personal property of literary, benevolent, charitable, and 

 scientific institutions incorporated within this Commonwealth, and the 

 real estate belonging to such institutions occupied by them or their 

 officers for the purposes for which they were incorporated." 



The Wo7xester County Horticultural Society was incor- 

 porated, A. D. 1842, " for the purpose," as explicitly stated in 

 its charter, " of advancing ihe science and encouraging and 

 improving the Practice of Horticulture." From that time to 

 this, it has received legacies and been the object of benefactions 

 from good men and true ; of whom some were living when the 

 Constitution was adopted, while all were thoroughly imbued 

 with its spirit ; as well as persuaded of the wisdom of that 

 especial provision, just cited, favoring "rewards and immunities" 

 for tlie promotion of " agriculture, arts, sciences," &c., &c. Yet, 

 throughout the entire period ; as soon as, by foresight and thrift, 

 this Society became possessed of a house of its own, wherein the 

 more efficiently to prosecute its " purpose " and thereby justify 

 its existence ; its property has been mulcted in sums amounting, 

 at this date, to more than the original cost of our Hall. 



In the early Winter of A. D. 1880, the Trustees of the 

 Society arranged a series of meetings, upon successive Thurs- 

 days, for the express " purpose " of more effectually " advancing 

 the science and encouraging and improving the practice of Hor- 

 ticulture." Topics of universal concern were selected ; and gen- 

 tlemen, thoroughly informed, were secured to introduce and 



