GARDENS, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES, 1857. 315 



ment in grape culture. Among other places visited 

 later in the season were the estate of H. II. Hunne- 

 well at West Needham, now known as the most beau- 

 tiful in New England, but which six years previously 

 to the time of which we write was a pitch pine forest 

 with a barren soil ; the trees and grounds of Woodlawn 

 Cemetery in Maiden ; the grounds of William Whiting 

 in Roxbury, the flower garden and fruit houses of 

 C. S. Holbrook in East Randolph, the flower garden 

 of William Wales in Dorchester, the pear orchard of 

 John Gordon in Brighton, and the smaller fruit garden 

 of Ariel Low in Roxbury. Premiums or gratuities 

 were awarded for all these places. The Fruit Committee 

 noted as a circumstance showing how complete was the 

 failure of the apple crop, and which had not occurred 

 before since the formation of the Society, that, on the 

 prize day for winter apples, not a single dish was pre- 

 sented. The Vegetable Committee commended the 

 quality of the Hubbard squash, then just introduced to 

 notice by James J. H. Gregory. 



Several measures were adopted by the Society during 

 the year 1858, which, though not immediately connected 

 with the exhibitions, had an important bearing on the 

 progress of horticulture. The first of these was the 

 appointment of a committee, of which J. W. P. Jenks, 

 professor of entomology, was a member, to investigate 

 the habits of the robin, and the benefits or injuries 

 caused by it to horticulture. A motion had been intro- 

 duced to petition the Legislature for a repeal of the 

 statutes prohibiting the destruction of this bird; but, it 

 appearing that no one possessed any definite and accu- 

 rate information as to its food, Professor Jenks under- 

 took an investigation of the subject, which resulted in 



