A TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 



they have also found a place in the orchards, gardens and conservatories 

 in New England, and other parts of the country. There is already great 

 enthusiasm manifested in the improvements we have witnessed within the 

 last few years. When we look back through the brief space of time since 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society was first established, and notice 

 the rapid progress that has been made in horticultural knowledge ; the 

 general diffusion of hitherto unknown delicious fruits and exquisite flowers ; 

 the facility by which ihey can be made to sport and form improved new 

 varieties by cross impregnation, and other means of art, the imagination 

 is inclined to anticipate the future, and inquire to what perfection in 

 horticultural science shall our successors arrive at half a century hence, 

 should the same enterprising spirit be manifest in the future operations of 

 this and other kindred societies, as has been exhibited by those who have 

 been associated with us in times past. 



But to anticipate the future is not the particular design of this publica- 

 tion, unless so far as may be necessary lo stimulate to further efforts. The 

 object is to sketch the history and note the progress of the Society for the 

 last three years. 



1st. In relation to Fruits. 



Eager to be in possession of every thing in the Old World, that would 

 be valuable here, our enterprising horticulturists have introduced a mul- 

 titude of friiils, good, bad and indifferent, including every variety that may 

 be found in the extensive catalogues of Europe, or that has met the eye 

 in advertisements, that might, by their description, be supposed desirable 

 for us. S>.me of these fruits have proved all that was expected of them, 

 while others, from change of climate or other causes, have been either in- 

 different or worthless. A selection of the best from the great number of 

 varieties now in the process of cultivation and trial, of the different sorts 

 of fruit that would be most esteemed, for a succession, through their re- 

 spective seasons, is a great desideratum. To effect this herculean task, it 

 has been necessary to cultivate hundreds of varieties in different soils and 

 aspects, by different individuals, and the various fruits brought together 

 and compared at the weekly and annual meetings of the Society. 



Within the last three years, great advances have been made towards an 

 object of so much importance to the community. Blany new varieties 

 have been established as first rate, while others have been pronounced of 

 little or no value. Some seedlings of American growth have also received 

 the approbation of the Society, as worthy a place in every choice collection. 



In the names of fruits, there has been much confusion and perplexity. 

 Fruit trees have been received from various nurseries and horticultural es- 

 tablishments in the New as well as the Old World, under different names, 

 that have proved synonyms of the same variety. The mist and darkness 

 which have shrouded this subject is gradually disappearing from the public 



