CLIMATE AND HORTICULTURE OF NEW ENGLAND. 21 



What time is left me, to speak of the progress made since the 

 foundation of tliis Society in the cultivation of flowers ! What 

 great proportions do we see in the trade of the florists ! What an 

 increase in the taste of the people ! How flowers are taken to 

 decorate ever}' scene of the drama of existence ! How bare would 

 the world seem without the refinement of their presence ! Our 

 feeling for them is fitly expressed in the language with which Eve, 

 when expelled from the forfeited garden, mourns with deepest 

 tenderness : — 



" O flowers, 

 That never will in other climate grow, 

 My early visitation, and my last at even, 

 Wliich I bred up with tender hand 

 From the first opening bud, and gave ye names ! 

 Who now shall rear ye to the sun, or rank 

 Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount? " 



Discussion. 



At the conclusion of Mr. Russell's remarks Benjamin G-. Smith 

 moved a vote of thanks to him for his eloquent address, which was 

 unanimously passed. 



Charles M. Hovey was called on, and expressed himself as much 

 pleased with the resume of the progress of gardening in New 

 England, which had been given. He agreed with Mr. Russell 

 that there have not been any great changes in the climate since 

 the first settlement was made in Massachusetts by the Pilgrims. 

 We remember only the extraordinary seasons, and hence our im- 

 pressions of changes are erroneous. Forestry is now attracting 

 much attention, and the planting of forests is urged as a means 

 of preventing droughts. But drought, as remarked by the lecturer, 

 was an ever-present menace to the Pilgrims before the forest had 

 been cut off, as it is to us today. We must go on in the practice 

 of gardening, not expecting any change for warmer or colder. ^ 



F. L. Capen was struck with one point mentioned by Mr. 

 Russell, — that the Indians were in the habit of burning off the 

 forest, and he thought this might account for the droughts 

 experienced by the first settlers. The subject of sewerage and 

 fertilizers is of great interest. Many towns are barren and 

 unproductive ; and if farmers cultivated the ground better they 

 would not be obliged to cultivate so much, and they could then 



