156 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTUEAIi SOCIETY. 



the creation of a park system for the city was uudertaken. The 

 agitation that led to this result, together with the love of natural 

 scenes that may be looked for in a community of exceptional 

 intelligence, naturally aroused an interest in the landscape which 

 gives the environment of Boston its remarkable attractiveness. 

 With the growth of this sentiment public attention was called to 

 the importance of preserving various spots of exceptional scenic 

 interest in the neighborhood of the city. These sentiments found 

 frequent expression in the Boston press. Men like the late 

 Elizur Wright, Wilson Flagg, and John Owen, for instance — 

 men of enthusiastic temperament and unselfish spirit — were 

 untiring in this work of agitation. These efforts were concen- 

 trated to the greatest degree upon the beautiful wild region five 

 miles to the northward of Boston, once known as the Five-Mile 

 Woods and latterl}^ as the Middlesex Fells. Suggestions for the 

 preservation of the great oaks in Waltham near Beaver Brook 

 were also made, and more latterly the creation of a public forest, 

 at the Blue Hills was urged. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society — the wealthiest horti- 

 cultural society in the world — has played a prominent part in 

 arousing and developing public interest in this subject. Its 

 Committee on Gardens, ever active in all the departments of its 

 work, officially visited the Beaver Brook, or " Waverly," Oaks, in 

 Waltham and Belmont, and also the Middlesex Fells, and in its 

 reports to the Society upon those places, urged their reservation 

 for public use and enjoyment. Furthermore, by public lectures 

 and discussions, and by the offer of prizes, this Societj' has done 

 good work in behalf of the preservation of forests ; and also for 

 the growing of new i)lantations of forest trees, thus converting 

 otherwise worthless laud into productive property, adding to the 

 beauty of the landscape, and promoting the healthfulness of the 

 district. 



A very important factor in promoting a wide-spread interest in 

 the rural scenes about Boston was the organization of the Appa- 

 lachian Mountain Club. Besides its more distant mountain 

 excursions, this club has conducted a series of regular weekly 

 holiday trips to all the main points of interest in the neighborhood 

 of the city, for many years past through every season. In this 

 way there litis been spread a more general knowledge and api)reci- 

 ation of the local landscape, and a very strong sentiment has been 



