32 INTRODUCTION. 



just before, imported valuable trees from India and Africa, and 

 had a very extensive nursery of useful plants in the neighborhood 

 of his garden. Mr. Heusler was highly esteemed as an intelligent, 

 upright, kind-hearted, and religious man ; and to him the commu- 

 nity are largely indebted for the introduction of many valuable 

 fruits, and for developing a taste for gardening. 1 A bill of Mr. 

 Heusler 's to Nathaniel Silsbee of Salem will give some idea of 

 the trees planted in 1799. It is for six plum trees, two each of 

 Semiana, Imperatrice, and Bonum Magnum ; twelve peach trees, 

 three each of Brattal's White, Early Purple, Red Magdalen, and 

 Noblesse ; three apricots ; twelve Lombarcty poplars ; and twelve 

 large-leaf poplars. The number of poplars will surprise those who 

 do not recollect the long rows of the Lombardy poplar, some rem- 

 nants of which survived less than a generation since, and which 

 were planted when it was a favorite above all other ornamental 

 trees. The price of the trees was two shillings (thirty-three and 

 one-third cents) each. 2 



With the successful close of the American Revolution, the arts 

 of peace had opportunity to flourish with new vigor. In the ad- 

 vancement of horticulture, Washington set the example. He was 

 not only a practical farmer on the most extensive scale, but his 

 residence exhibited every mark of the cultivated and refined 

 country gentleman. He appears to have had considerable taste in 

 ornamental gardening. He planted a flower garden, and decorated 

 his pleasure grounds with much effect ; and his diary shows that 

 he collected and planted a variety of rare trees and shrubs with his 

 own hands, and watched their growth with the greatest interest. 

 He employed skilful gardeners, and pruning was one of his favorite 

 exercises. 8 



As one of the results of the cessation from war, in 1785 the first 

 step for the advancement of agriculture by associated effort was 

 taken. The Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, and 

 the Agricultural Society of South Carolina, both formed in 1785 

 (the latter incorporated in 1795), are still in existence. The 

 Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, incorporated 

 March 7, 1792, has exerted an active and useful influence on horti- 

 culture. Among its members we find the first men of the State in 



i Bulletin of the Essex Institute, Vol; II. p. 22; Felt's Annals of Salem, Vol. II. p. 147. 

 Proceedings of the Essex Institute, Vol. H. p. 174. 



8 Horticulturist, Vol. II. p. 237; Irving's Life of Washington, Vol. IV. pp. 455, 464, 

 467, 468. 



