118 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1892. 



would present no very striking attractions to the lover of natural 

 scenery. But this valley possesses precisely those features which 

 art is capable of rendering extremely fascinating, and there is 

 scarcely to be met with, in this or any other county, a more charm- 

 ing landscape than Worcester presents from almost any of the 

 elevated hills that surround it. The high state of agriculture in 

 every part of the valley, and the fine taste and neatness exhibited 

 in all the buildings of this flourishing town and the interming- 

 ling of so many fine fruit and shade trees, spreads over the pros- 

 pect a beauty of high order on which the eye delights to linger." 



This was the result of an interest taken in this matter by a few 

 individuals for several generations previous. 



It appears from the early records that in the year 1783 an 

 ordinance was passed by the town as follows : — 



"Whereas, a number of persons have manifested a disposition 

 to set out trees for shade, near the meeting house and elsewhere 

 about the town, and the town being very desirous of encouraging 

 such a measure, which will be beneficial, as well as ornamental, 

 voted — that any person being an inhabitant of this town who shall 

 injure or destroy such trees so set out, shall pay a fine not ex- 

 ceeding 20 shillings for every offfence, to the use of the Poor." 



This attention given to street ornamentation, inaugurated 

 over a century ago, continued in later years by men who were 

 the founders and promoters of this Horticultural Society, the 

 Lincoln family for three generations most prominent of all, has 

 given us for enjoyment the refreshing shade of our Common 

 and the streets in the immediate vicinity. 



The authorities in charge of the highways in this city are doing 

 more each year to improve the roadbeds in every direction. 

 It now remains for the owners of land bordering on these 

 highways, to supplement this work by improvement of the road- 

 side, the planting and preservation of our shade-trees and thus 

 add to the attractiveness, enjoyment and general prosperity of 

 an appreciative community. 



Some of our railroad corporations are setting us a good exam- 

 ple in the way they arc utilizing the vacant land around the 

 stations by planting trees, vines and shrubs in a most attractive 



