20 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



general agriculture of the Commonwealth cannot be over-rated, 

 and it is always on the alert to give practical assistance to the 

 farmer. 



In 1801 this Societ}' gave $500 for the establishment of a pro- 

 fessorship of Natural Histor}' at Cambridge, and a committee was 

 appointed to procure subscriptions for its permanent endowment. 

 This resulted in the establishment of tlie Botanic Garden con- 

 nected with the Universit}', and was one of the causes that led to 

 the formation of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1829. 

 From this time the pursuits of gardening and pomolog}^ took their 

 rise, — evidences of increasing taste and a moi'e refined civilization. 



"The garden," said Lord Bacon, "is the purest of human 

 pleasures ; it is the greatest refreshment to the mind of man, 

 without which buildings and palaces are but gross handiworks ; and 

 man shall ever see that when ages grow to civility and elegancj', 

 men come to build statel}', sooner than to garden finel}', as if 

 gardening were the greater perfection." It is a pursuit alike 

 adapted to either sex ; it is the relaxation of genius, a refuge from 

 the toil of commerce and the cares of state. 



Think what it adds to the refinement and luxury of life. Look 

 back in the records of fiftj' j'ears, or examine the recollection of 

 each one here present, and see how small and poor was the list of 

 fruits and their varieties ; and those were confined to the gardens 

 of the wealthy. Now 1 may say that, in m}- annual visits to the 

 agricultural fairs, I see, each year, in remote towns of the Com- 

 monwealth, exhibitions of fruit and flowers such as the whole 

 nation could not have made in my boyhood. 



The grape — the type of luscious fruits, the inspiration of 

 poetry, the adornment of eloquence — is but of yesterdaj' in our 

 cultivation. It is but about sixt}' years since valuable American 

 varieties were first brought into notice ; now we have numerous 

 seedlings and hybrids brought into our market b}'' the ton from our 

 own vineyards, and sold as cheaply by weight as apples. 



About the same time that this work began the berries were 

 confined to the wild varieties of the woods and the fields. We 

 have only to go back to 1839 to find on the record that then was 

 first exhibited tlie Hovey's Seedling strawbeny, which so stimulated 

 the emulation of gardeners ; and the splendid variety' originated by 

 President AYilder, with its surpassing flavor, was not given to the 

 world until 1865. Now the list of that noble familj' is as long as 

 the British peerage. 



