84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTUIIAL SOCIETY. 



the petition already sent in by the Presidents of the Boston Natural History 

 Society and our own. This committee made their report two weeks since, 

 and which now awaits the action of the Society. 



The whole scheme may, perhaps, appear to some Quixotic ; but if we 

 have a continuation of the unexampled increase and prosperity of our 

 country, we may reasonably believe that the Back Bay will* in a few years, 

 become the most prominent and attractive part of the city ; and when these 

 sections we desire to be reserved are surrounded with elegant residences, 

 no doubt liberal subscriptions will be readily made, if needed, to sustain 

 the institutions which we hope will be established there. 



The present aspect of the affairs of our country have so aifected my own 

 mind, that I must confess I have some misgivinofs about the rapid settle- 

 ment of the Back Bay lands ; for, if our worst fears should be realized, 

 there may be such a depreciation of the value of this land, as well as of 

 all other property, that it might about as well have remained from whence 

 the soil or gravel was taken, where the possessor of a farm composed of it 

 was the poorer the more he had of it. God grant that we may have a 

 speedy settlement of all our difficulties. Yet, with the present existing 

 uncertainty of public affairs, my courage rather fails me, and I feel almost 

 inclined to recede from the stand I have hitherto taken. No doubt our 

 Society will be disposed to use all their influence in aiding and assisting 

 the other associations, but I trust we shall not commit ourselves to any 

 course that will involve us in any very heavy expense. 



A few remarks were made last year, in the opening address, relative to 

 the season, in its effects upon horticultural products, though perhaps it may 

 have been out of place ; yet I cannot refrain from alluding, now, to some 

 of the peculiarities of the past season, which has been a remarkable one. 

 From the 1st of March to the 1st of June, scarcely any rain fell. It was 

 excessively dry, cold, and backward. Very disagreeable, cold, easterly 

 winds prevailed for twenty -eight days, without intermission or change, to 

 the middle of May. From that time to the 1st of June the weather was 

 warmer and mild — very favorable for a successful bloom, which was abun- 

 dant, and fruit of all kinds set remarkably well. June Avas cold, with a 

 great amount of rainy weather, particularly near its close. 



Strawberries were very much injured by excessive rain, the fruit lacking 

 flavor, and unusually acid. Cherries promised to be plenty, but some 

 disease occasioned a blight just as they began to ripen ; the crop was 

 light, and very few really good ones. We had the satisfaction of noting 

 an unusual scarcity of caterpillars. Canker worms seemed to have entirely 

 disappeared, and very few curculios infested the apple. It was equally 

 remarkable that birds destructive to small fruits were very few in com- 

 parison with last year. Apples were very abundant and fair; a very 

 txtraordinary crop. Pears were equally abundant, but lacked flavor, and 

 the autumn and winter varieties ripened prematurely, or decayed without 

 ripening. The peach trees promised a fair crop, but the same disease that 

 injured the cherries seemed to affect the peach, and, just as they began 



