12 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the best wisdom of the wise. An able man, in the prime of life, 

 can come up to the standard just set. A young man, full of 

 imagination, may venture the task, though lacking the otherwise 

 needed long practice of the expert gardener. But what if old age 

 undertake this great task ? We can only reply, With modesty to 

 speak and charit}- to listen, it is possible that even an old man 

 may approach the old subject — so inspiring in itself and of such 

 hopeful influence — with a moderate degree of self-trust. 



The subject before us can be best treated by a reference to 

 individual experience. It would be well to compare the memories 

 of many minds upon it. But as this is impossible, from the pass- 

 ing away of most of the persons who lived at the dates we shall 

 refer to, you may be willing to depend, in the present case, 

 largely upon the experiences of the si>eaker ; who is so much the 

 senior of most present that his recollections, — extending over 

 some seventy or more years, — reach back to a period contempor- 

 aneous with most of the persons and events to be spoken of. As 

 a type of those early da3s of American horticulture, I shall be 

 excused for speaking of what might, in any other aspect, be to 

 my hearers of little interest or importance. Without being liable, 

 I trust, to the charge of egotism, I will therefore at once take up 

 a topic which must be largely personal. 



My earliest recollections are of an intense love of nature : the 

 boy recalls no contests with a lovely sister except as to who 

 should have the " pink" or the " ladies' delight" that by a rare 

 good fortune was left at our home. The list of the flowers on ray 

 father's grounds, about 1806, was very short. The pretentious 

 Hollyhock, the London Pride, and gorgeous Peony, the outspread- 

 ing Marigold, the brilliant Tulip, and the precious Sweet William, 

 — these were^ nearly all we saw in blossom in our garden. My 

 paternal grandfather could show on his grounds only two roses ; 

 the one red, thin-petalled, and low ; the other a tall, genuine old- 

 fashioned white rose, so imposing and fragrant that it gave the 

 bo}' pleasure to cull its precious petals, and put them in store for 

 the delicious rose-water. My grandfather had a few pears : the 

 old Scotch, the attractive Bon Chretien, and the delicious St. 

 Michael; with the "Pound pear," a lofty tree, which supplied 

 barrels of cooking pears for two families. He had also a choice 

 tree of what he called " Pear apples," combining the spiciness of 

 the apple with a rich pear flavor. He had also a nut tree, of 



