8 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1883. 



in the discovery and wide-spread dissemination of the Triomphe 

 de Gand, and Charles Downing ; of the Fillbasket, Cnthbert, and 

 Brinckle's Orange ; Earle's BergawM^ Doyenne dii Cornice, or 

 Beurre d' Anjou ; or, and emphatically, those noblest of all 

 fruits, — the Gravenstein, and Northern Spy. We cannot, as a 

 Society, adopt tlie advice to plant the Bartlett ; and thereafter, 

 some more Bartletts ; and yet again — the Bartlett ! Oar stand- 

 ard is — excellence ; and we strive to originate, introduce, and — 

 should I not emphasize it ? perpetuate the best. 



But, — you " relax your grip "! Why ? A new berry is 

 offered, — of perhaps superior size, if only of average quality, 

 which was grown under favoring conditions: and the customary 

 passion for change does the rest. The significant fact is over- 

 looked that all soils are not alike ; that extreme care and 

 assiduity were devoted to the production of the novelty ; and 

 that geese are not indeed and cannot by any means be trans- 

 formed into swans. The new variety is new, — and must there- 

 fore be had. Yet space is limited ; and the old and approved 

 favorites must be up-rooted and thrown away. A short trial 

 may detect inlierent defects, or utter worthlessness; but, when 

 the scales have fallen from your eyes, old things have passed 

 away ; and the sole vision left is of rows, or mats, of plants that 

 betray an absolute and entire waste of labor, time and money. 

 You have gratified your fancy ; but lost your fruit with the tried 

 variety which you will find it impossible to replace. How often 

 has one of our most skilful members declared to your Secretary 

 that he would again grow the Triomplie de Gand, could he 

 but depend upon getting the plants pure ! 



But one infallible rule can be suggested for your guidance. 

 Grow that which best suits your own exposure and soil ; never 

 forgetting that the^ alternations, within the limits of a single 

 town or city, from clay to sand, or from heat to cold, or from 

 drought to saturation, are often extreme. Nor, — that when you 

 have contrived to suit yourself, at least one person will be 

 pleased ! Trust those who purvey for the market to detect the 

 tendency toward sirloin, or shin-bone ! 



Unless a stubborn resistance is opposed to this commercial 

 spirit, so aggressive in its manifestations ; Horticulture will be 



