48 WOECESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1877. 



At one of our more recent Weekly Meetings, Vice-President Hadwen 

 displayed a number of Seedling Pears which he had received from 

 Messrs. F. & L. Clapp of Dorchester, in this Commonwealth. These 

 gentlemen have achieved a reputation as Pomologists that they are not 

 content simply to maintain. The production of Clapp'' s Favorite might, 

 it would seem, satisfy any reasonable ambition. Not so with them. They 

 may not devolop another pear to surpass or even rival that superb sum- 

 mer variety ; but, they can try. And hence the seedlings upon our table 

 on the 25th of October. Specifically, there were : " Nicholas, a seedling 

 " from No. 17 ; " " Neiohall, a seedling from No. 12 ; " " Seedling," 

 (not named,) " from Winter Nelis ; " Seedling from Urbaniste." The 

 duty of minutely describing these Seedlings may well be left for the ac- 

 complished experts of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, whose 

 observations of them with others from the same orchards, can be contin- 

 uous and uninterrupted. Abrupt inferences from a single cursory inspec- 

 tion would hardly be warranted. It is, however, permissible to say that 

 the Seedling from Urbaniste was of exquisite tlavor, the flesh being of a 

 beurre and melting texture. The Seedling from the Winter Nelis would 

 perhaps rank next, if indeed any inferiority was marked. 



Depredations upon the gardens and orchards of our members have been 

 scarcelyas serious as in former years. Your Secretary learns, from the 

 Commission charged with their care, that the Public Grounds of the 

 City of Worcester suffer from a wanton or malicious mischief which rev- 

 els in the destruction of whatever is beyond its capacity for enjoyment. 

 But the Horticulturist has mainly escaped ravage ; even though, in fre- 

 quent instances, the flagrant exposure of Quince or Strawberry has seemed 

 to be a temptation of Providence — let alone the graduates of our Keform 

 Schools. In fact, our associate, Mr. Charles Goodwin, claims that his 

 fate has been that of the late Southern Confederacy :— in that his prayer 

 to be " let alone " was not answered. But possibly neither the Confeder- 

 acy, nor Mr. Goodwin, sufficiently realized that it is the prayer of the 

 righteous that availeth much. Your Secretary tried to console Mr. Good - 

 win by reminding him of the instance, mentioned in the Good Book, 

 where a pair were grinding and one was taken, — the other being left. 

 But Mr. Goodwin denied that there was any grinding in his, — grist and 

 toll alike were taken, and not a pear was left between his upper and 

 nether stones. Be that as it may ! 



For our general immunity we have, perhaps, to thank our associate, 

 Mr. William H. Earle, to whose firmness of purpose is it due that the ad- 

 ministration of justice, in this City and County, was saved from grave re- 

 proach. That gentleman would not condone the offence, nor suffer its 



