6 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1891. 



choicest varieties of Flowers, and Fruits, and Vegetables ; and 

 to develop the love of the beautiful : 



" How well it has fulfilled its mission, our attractive homes 

 and quickened aesthetic public taste, attest !" 



You ask me to respond to that sentiment. Can I? Should I 

 try, to say anything new ! The text is one, than which none 

 other is so familiar ; one from which exhortation has been so 

 often repeated as to savor almost of monotony. You would sug- 

 2;est a recurrence to that time when, through the whole prosper- 

 ous village, there might be traced the one invariable Main Street, 

 bounded by large individual estates which, in their turn, were 

 defined by a fringe of lilac, horse-chestnut, or syringa. The 

 population was homogeneous ; largely confined to the pursuits 

 of Terrreculture, in which the more prominent professional men 

 were wont to Avarm — perchance scorch? their fingers. The 

 orchards of Judge Nathaniel Paine, Gov. Lincoln, Elisha Flagg, 

 and Dr. John Green, over-lapped each other along the western 

 ridge ; and in them the Early Harvest and River tempted juve- 

 nile honesty, while the Baldwin and Nonesuch commended them- 

 selves to the thrifty housewife. The Bartlett was winning its 

 way, thanks to the tried skill and approved grafting-wax of 

 Levi Gates, — a name ever to be held in respect! If the new 

 comer had to lie worked upon the mealy Orange, or the very 

 tolerable Bon Chretien, its sul)stitution marked a most de- 

 cided step in advance. There could be found, in their season, 

 the Egg Plum ; the Red, and White, Dutch Currant, — the 

 Heart, and Mazzard, Cherries. Yet, for our fathers let it be said 

 that they developed Peaches which we have never surpassed, if 

 even at all equalled. They found the wild Strawberry, introduced 

 the Alpines, and were beginning to anticipate that evolution 

 whereof Hovcy's seedling was the first notable gain. We may 

 say also, of and for that generation ; poorly off as some may 

 regard it who know that it had to mould its tallow-dips and get 

 fire from flint and steel ; that each family would keep its cow ; 

 that children and grown people had all the huckleberries and 

 milk they wanted ; and that, compared with the udder, pedigree 

 would not fetch a cent ! 



