& MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



house of the kind in Massachusetts. It is a very neat structure, of the 

 following dimensions : length, one hundred and fifteen feet; width, seven- 

 teen feet; height of back wall, eleven feet; height of front wall, six and 

 one half feet ; front sash, two by four feet, movable ; back sash, three by 

 four feet. There is a walk three and one half feet wide, which runs round 

 the inside by the wall, and the bed in the centre is filled with beach gravel, 

 and on this are placed the tubs containing trees — one hundred and fifty in 

 all. At the time the Committee were there, the cherries were ripe ; but 

 the other fruits, such as pears, grapes, peaches, nectarines, &c., were green, 

 but in a state of forwardness, and presenting a very promising and satis- 

 factory appearance. The chairman of the Committee visited the place at 

 a later period, and saw the peaches when fully ripe. He was very much 

 pleased, both with the appearance and flavor of that fruit. The question 

 was asked by our Committee, How much earlier the fruit would ripen in 

 the house? — a question Avhich could not be fully answered at that time, but 

 the subsequent experience of Mr. Hubbard has satisfied him that on the 

 early pears there is a gain of about ten days, and about a month on later 

 pears. All the fruit ripened earlier than the same kind out doors. The 

 peaches and apricots were very beautiful, and of fine flavor. The necta- 

 rines were poor, and badly cracked. The later peaches were of better 

 flavor than those first ripe. 



The experience of Mr. Hubbard, and observations of the Committee, 

 seem to justify them in saying, that the orchard house seems to be best 

 suited to the growing of fine peaches, and for the fruit thus grown high 

 prices may be obtained. Mr. Hubbard deserves great credit for what he 

 ha^s done in this department of horticulture, and the Society, no doubt, feel 

 a great interest in the success of the enterprise. Time alone will enable 

 the Society and the public to form a correct opinion in regard to tiie profit- 

 ableness of this kind of culture. 



The Committee cannot close their notice of this place, without doing 

 justice to Mr. Walsh, who has had the entire charge of the orchard-house. 

 He has done all that it was possible for a man to do, and has raised very 

 fine fruit, and exhibited it at the rooms of the Society. He certainly 

 deserves, and should receive, the thanks of every friend of horticulture. 



MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY. 



Tho next visit made by your Committee was to this well-known and 

 beautiful resting-place of the dead. The day was cool for the season, and 

 very favorable for the purposes of your Committee. Though the Society 

 have a large pecuniary interest in this cemetery, it is the first time the 

 Garden Committee have visited it officially. 



Some hour or two was spent in riding and walking about the grounds, 

 with the trustees and invited guests. In the chapel we found the statues 

 of John Adams, John Hancock, John Winthrop, and Judge Story — beau- 

 tiful and valuable additions to the attractions of this noble temple. Seldom 

 are we permitted to behold works of art more beautiful than these — the 

 productions of a Crawford, a Greenqugh, and a Rogers. These alone well 



