56 TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 



exhibitions and premiums. He alluded in a happy manner to the site of 

 its new building, as being memorable, for more than a century, in the 

 cause of education ; from whence had gone forth to bless the world, some 

 of the most distinguished scholars of the age and brightest ornaments of 

 society ; and that now to those halls of learning was to succeed a temple 

 devoted to a science which has been honored by the great and good, from 

 Solomon to Washington ; and in our own time, by Knight and Van Mons, 

 Buel and Lowell; and concluded by referring to the act of the Society 

 of establishing and consecrating the Mount Auburn Cemetery, — that 

 hallowed resting place for the dead, — that " Garden of Graves" ; and he 

 doubted not that this measure would redound to the credit of the Society, 

 ■while this corner stone shall endure, and that it would be duly appreciated 

 and held in grateful remembrance, when we and the members of this in- 

 stitution are quietly reposing in its " Field of Peace," or sleeping beneath 

 the sods of the valley. 



SIXTEENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION 



OF THE 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



On the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st of September 1844. 



On no former occasion had we so fine a display of fruit. Every table 

 and stand that could be placed within the hall, without interfering with the 

 space necessary for the accommodation of the visiters, was full to over- 

 flowing ; indeed, much fine fruit sent for exhibition could not be placed on 

 our tables the first day ; but, by the kindness of some of our friends, and 

 the spirit of accommodation and self-denial which seemed to pervade all 

 the contributors, specimens of nearly all of the varieties sent were exhibited, 

 although a very large quantity of fine fruit still remained stored away. 

 Another year, (when we shall occupy our new hall,) our accommodations 

 will be on a larger scale. But we greatly mistake the signs of the times, 

 if the contributions of future years will not increase to an extent far beyond 

 our contemplated new arrangements. 



On Saturday, the 14th instant, in the presence of many of the citizens of 

 Boston, the corner stone of the Massachusetts Horticultural Hall was laid 

 by the President, M. P. Wilder, Esq., attended by the members of the So- 

 ciety. The address on the occasion, by Col. Wilder, was just such an one 

 as we should have expected from him ; it was not only a history of the 



