450 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to join in the celebration were sent to his Excellency 

 Governor Thomas Talbot; his Honor Frederick O. 

 Prince, Mayor of Boston ; Charles L. Flint, secretary of 

 the State Board of Agriculture ; Thomas Motley, presi- 

 dent of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agricul- 

 ture; Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, Hon. John C. Gray, 

 Professor Asa Gray, Rev. William W. Newton, and Rev. 

 A. B. Muzzey; to the four surviving founders of the 

 Society, John B. Russell of Newmarket, N.J., Andrews 

 Breed of Lancaster, Henry A. Breed of Lynn, and 

 John M. Ives of Salem, two of whom, Messrs. Russell 

 and Ives, were present ; and to the presidents of all the 

 State horticultural societies in the Union, eighteen in 

 number. The celebration took place in the upper hall, 

 the flower stands having been removed from the centre 

 of the room, and seats placed for the accommodation 

 of the audience. The exercises were : 1st, music by the 

 Germania Band ; 2d, prayer by Rev. A. B. Muzzey ; 

 3d, music by the band ; 4th, oration by Hon. Marshall 

 P. Wilder ; 5th, music by the band ; 6th, Auld Lang 

 Syne, in singing which the audience were requested to 

 join ; and, 7th, benediction. The audience were much 

 gratified at the appearance in public of the venerable 

 ex-president for the first time since the accident before 

 referred to. 



The oration was an able and interesting summary of 

 the history of the Society by one who had been con- 

 versant with, and had taken an active part in, its work 

 almost from the beginning. It closed as follows : 



"And now, my friends, permit me in conclusion to say, that, 

 among the various invitations which I have received to address my 

 fellow-citizens, I have never been honored with one which I more 

 readily accepted, or more highly appreciated, than the invitation 



