170 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



agility of an athlete, and huug out a flag to indicate the place of 

 meeting. The natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, and 

 the capabilities of the whole Fells district for improvement as a 

 public park, were discussed by the earnest orators, as was also the 

 heroism of the first settlers of New England. Long, wood-road 

 rambles over the territory were included in the exercises of this 

 gathering. Later in the year Mr. Manning attended meetings of 

 the Association in Mr. "Wright's office, which was in the American 

 Insurance Co.'s Building, then on Milk Street, Boston. Among 

 those present at these gatherings were John Owen and Wilson 

 Flagg, of Cambridge ; Colonel Lyman Dike, of Stoneham ; L. L. 

 Dame, of Medford ; S. W. Twombly, of Winchester; Judge 

 Churchill, of Milton, and several other gentlemen. In 1881, 

 another field meeting was held at Middlesex Fells, Cheese Rock 

 being headquarters. It was late in the summer, and was a very 

 warm day. There were several ladies in the company. The 

 exercises were chiefly those of exploration. To inspect the Fells 

 (an area of four thousand acres or more) in this manner, one has 

 to pass over a greatly varied surface ; here an area of low swamp 

 land ; there a tract covered by impenetrable thickets of shrubs, 

 and climbing or trailing vines ; again over rising ground ; up and 

 over broken ledges, and bold crags of the most dangerous, break- 

 neck character. Again one would be in ideal woodlands of tall 

 forest trees of many species, covering an area many acres in 

 extent, of lauds suitable for cultivation, either as farms, gardens, 

 or orchards. The thoughts inspired by such surroundings, found 

 expression sometimes as follows, — Romantic drives could easily be 

 made here, leading to retired mansions that wealth might erect ! 

 What a grand park this would make ! These and similar remarks 

 were frequently heard as the party wandered through this wild 

 region. In those early meetings, the interest in the scheme was 

 strong ; and if the thought occurred to any of those present, that 

 a long time would elapse before some practicable plan would be 

 adopted to secure a system of forest reservations, and the question 

 came into mind when such a plan would be consummated — certainly 

 these feelings did not then generally prevail in the gathering. 

 Finally it was suggested that the General Court be petitioned to 

 enact a law under whicli it could be done. The petition, 

 numerously signed, was presented to the Legislature of 1882, and 

 referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, of which Hon. 



