1850.] president's address. 19 



have pleasure in stating what may not be generally known, that by a resolve of 

 the Legislature, the sum of !|ii8,000 has been appropriated for the republication 

 of the very valuable work ou "Insects Injurious to Vegetation," by the late 

 Dr. Harris ; and that fifteen copies of the work are to be given to each incor- 

 porated Agricultural and Horticultural Society in the State, to be distributed 

 in premiums. The work will be beautifully illustrated, with colored engrav- 

 ings, and will probably be printed in season to be distributed at our next 

 Annual Exhibition. The cost of the work will be three dollars a copy. 



The financial condition of the Society has much improved during' the year. 

 The Treasurer has been able lo pay, during the last six months, out of our 

 income from rents, the sum of four hundred dollars towards the debt of the 

 Society, and will be able to pay a like sum before the expiration of the present 

 financial year. The debt of the Society is $10,080. Its property is this Hall, 

 the large amount of furniture contained in it, and the very valuable library of 

 the Society. Within the year, the hall has been leased to the Worcester Light 

 Infantry for an armory for the sum of five hundred dollars a year, an arrange- 

 ment which it is hoped and expected will be beneficial to both parties. The 

 building is now fully occupied by permanent and responsible tenants, and will 

 not probably require any large expenditure in repairs for a long time. In 

 taking leave of the Society, at the present time, as its presiding officer, agree- 

 ably to that principle of rotation which should be observed at proper periods, 

 in all public associations, I take the opportunity, which I may not have again 

 in so favorable a manner, to state in a very few words the results alike of my 

 observations here, and of my experience of many years, in that particular 

 branch of horticulture to which I have paid more particular attention. 



Three years ago, my own orchard contained upwards of two hundred varie- 

 ties of pears, most of which at various times have fruited. One hundred of 

 these have since that time been swept off my grounds, leaving fifty more to 

 follow as soon as the process of regrafting can be conveniently accomplished. 

 Below this number, I do not deem it expedient, in a large collection, to fall, 

 and beyond it no one can go, with any hope of an adequate return. Fortunately, 

 there are individuals enough, who, from public spirit, or the love of the thing, 

 are desirous to test all the new kinds that may from time to time appear. 

 They should certainly receive every reasonable encouragement from societies 

 like this. But it is not a practice that can be generally recommended. About 

 ten years ago, the then most distinguished pomologist in the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society read to me an extract from a letter from the celebrated 

 Mr. Rivers, of England, recommending, in the strongest manner, the cultiva- 

 tion of a particular pear as one that would supplant every other ni the market. 

 I had never tasted the fruit, but, following such adviee, I cut off the heads of 

 my Fultons, Bonne de Jersey, and other good pears, and grafted with the new 

 variety. Since then I have had to re-engraft every tree, and have been com- 

 pelled to discard the Colmar d'Areraberg as entirely unworthy of cultivation. 

 Many such instances could be given in the experience of every extensive 

 cultivator. Many things are to be considered in selecting the varieties of pears, 



