THE ANNIVERSARY DINNER OF THE SOCIETY. 177 



Society was never so strong and its prospects never so bright 

 before. It had a thousand members, in every department of life, 

 and its influence for good was extending over every part of the 

 country. In a few appropriate remarks he then introduced His 

 Excellency the Governor. 



Governor Gaston thanked the audience for their kind reception. 

 He rejoiced in this season of business depression, when many of 

 the arms of industry were paralyzed, that the earth poured forth 

 her bounteous fruits in abundance ; that by the providence of God 

 seed time and harvest would not fail, and that there were blessings 

 and mercies for us, notwithstanding the ominous look of things 

 upon the earth, and said this season of the year, when the fruits 

 of the earth reached their greatest luxuriance, was an especially 

 appropriate time for festivity. The Governor concluded by saying 

 that he took pleasure in acknowledging the importance and useful- 

 ness of the Society, and hoping that its future might be worthy of 

 its present. 



The President next introduced Rev. James Freeman Clarke, who 

 related an anecdote of the Boston nectarine, which was introduced 

 by the late Samuel G. Perkins. Mr. Perkins sent to the London 

 Horticultural Society a painting of this fruit so richly colored that 

 its correctness was doubted. Some time afterwards Mr. Perkins 

 was travelling in Europe, and met an Englishman who asked him 

 if he did not come from America. Mr. Perkins replied that he 

 did, and the Englishman said that he was a member of the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Society, and that they received from Boston 

 some years ago a painting of a fruit with colors so bright and 

 beautiful that he did not believe it was or could be natural. Mr. 

 Perkins said it was natural ; he had seen the picture and the fruit, 

 and the colors corresponded. The Englishman said nothing more 

 then, but when they reached an inn that night, and were about 

 parting to retire, asked : " May I trouble you to just repeat what 

 you said about that nectarine?" Mr. Perkins repeated what he 

 had said, and added that he knew the picture well, he had seen the 

 nectarines, had the picture painted, owned the trees, raised the 

 fruit, and his name was Perkins ! The Englishman said not 

 another word but left the room, evidently thinking the whole story 

 a Yankee humbug. 



After music by the band President Parkman introduced Mar- 

 shall P. Wilder, Ex-President of the Society; 



23 



