10 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1891. 



could be had by the payment of twenty-five cents. When the 

 Treasurer balanced his account for the year, he charged himself 

 as follows': 



To Receipts for Memberships, $ 66 00 



Admissions at Door, 207 98 



$273 98 

 The expenses, — the exhibitors putting in their contributions, 

 labor, and time, from pure love of Horticulture, and getting 

 nothing by way of premium or gratuity, — amounted for the 

 entire year to the sum of One Hundred and Eighteen Dollars 

 and Thirty-Nine Cents ($118.39). 



It is no part of my purpose to anticii)ate the work of the His- 

 torian of the Society, nor to forestall the fruit of his labors. 

 But I cannot refrain from emphasizing this point, — that this So- 

 ciety was founded by men who sought to promote the welfare of 

 their fellows and not their personal advantage ; and whose sacri- 

 ficial offerings were laid upon the altar (call it Pagan if you 

 will !) of Flora, Pomona, and Vertumnus ; — never, of Mammon. 

 For, — four (4) years from the date of legal incorporation a 

 Member,* whose interest in the welfare of this Society, as in 

 that of every other good cause, ended only with life, wrote : 



" The Society's funds are also in so prosperous a condition 

 that they can now award Premiums of Fruits and Flowers, as 

 shall be of deserving excellence !" 



Mark the precise statement of George Jaques, — a Horticul- 

 turist, if ever one merited the name, " of deserving excellence" ! 

 Not of perennial persistence and unblushing cheek. The old 

 rounders had not yet learned to swing around the circle : Bald- 

 win or Northern Spy, of whatsoever quality, drawing premiums 

 of three or four dollars a dozen in Autumn, and then being put 

 away carefully to await another chance for gratuity, during the 

 ensuing Spring. Two years from that utterance, A. D. 1848, 

 Mr. Paine credited himself with the payment, of Premiums and 

 Gratuities, of Forty-Seven Dollars ($47.00). But he also put 

 down to his debit the sum of Sixty-Seven -^^^^ Dollars ($(57.42) 



*The late George Jaques. 



