NEW 



PUBLISHED BY J. B. KUSSELLf AT NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the Agi ucult ural WAitF.i.o usE.j^T. G. FESS E KDE.X, EDITOR. 

 ^^ ~ ~ NO. 49. 



[ VOL. IX. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 22, 1831. 



Horticulture 



I various pioilucts of horticultmo, an inloivst has 



= j been excited, and a spirit of inquiry nwakcneil, 



Proccccliiio-s or the Massachusetts HorllciMurnl\ aus\nc\ons to the Institution, while a [.awciful 



■^ *' . .... .. I • ,__ 1 1 ™; .» »« «U #1-..^ K..nl<nKnc:i r^t 



Soclcti/ at an adjourned mecl'ing, hcld-in the 

 apartments of the Institution, on Saturdarf, the 

 \Sth of June, 1831. 



Tlie fiillowing report was made hy the committee 

 •on a Gar.len of Experiment and Rural Omclery. 

 The Coinniittcc appointed to inquire into llie 

 expediency of measures being talien for tlie estal)- 

 lishinentof an Experimf.ntal Gauden, and Ru- 

 ral Ce.meterv, ask h;avc to 

 Report. 

 Wiicn t)ie Slassachusetts Ilorlicultural Society 

 was organised, it was confidently anticipated, that, 

 at no verj- distant period a Garden of Experiment 

 would be established in the vicinity of Boston ; 

 but to arrive at such a pleasing result, it was 

 deemed expedient that our efforts should first be 

 directed, to the accomplishment of objects, which 

 ■would not require very extensive [jccuniary resour- 

 ces ; that we should proceed with great caution, 

 and by a prudential management of our means, 

 ulually dcvelope a more coiiiplete and efficient 

 system for rendering the institution, as e.xtcnsively 

 iseful, as it was necessary and important. Pub- 

 ic favor was to be propitiated, by the adoption of 

 iucli incipient measures, as were best calculated to 

 Micourage patronage and insure ultimate success. 

 With these views, the labors of the Society have 

 jeen confined to the collection and dissemination 

 )f intelligence, plants, scions, and seeds, in the 

 ■arious departments of Horticulture. An ^xtet- 

 ive correspondence was thereforo opened with 

 imilar associations in this country, and Europe, 

 swell as with many gentlemen, who were distin- 

 •uished for their theoretical attainments, practical 

 ^formation andex[)erimental researches, in all the 

 ranches of rural economy, on this continent, 

 nd other portions of the globe 



The kind disposition, which has been generally 

 ■vinced, to advance the interests of the Society, 

 as had a salutary and cheering inllueuce. Many 

 iiteresting and instructive communications have 

 een rcceiveil, and valuable donations of books, 



impulse has been given to all tho branches of 

 rural industry, fur beyond our most sanguine 

 hopes. 



To foster and extend a taste for the pleasant, 

 useful and refined art of Gardening, the time ap- 

 pears to have arrived, for enlarging the sphere of 

 action, and giving the most ample development 

 to the original design of the Society. 



The London, Paris, Edinburgh and Liverpool 

 Horticultural associations, have each established 

 Experimental Gardens, and the beneficial effects 

 have been conspicuously experienced, not only 

 throughout England, Scotland and France, but 

 the whole civilized world is deriving ailvantages 

 from those magnificent depositories, of the rarest 

 products, which have been collected, from the vast 

 domains of Pomona and Flora. These noble 

 precedents have been followed, in Russia, Ger- 

 many, Holland and Italy. We must also emu- 

 late the meritorious examples of those renowned 

 institutions, and be thus enabled to reciprocate 

 their favors, from like collections of useful and 

 ornamental plants. "An equally enlightened taste 

 will be thus superinduced for those comforts and 

 embellishments, and that intellectual enjoyment 

 which the science and practice of horticulture 

 afTord. 



With the Experimental Garden, it is recom- 

 menbed to unite a Rural Cemetery ; for the 

 period is not distant, when all the burial grounds 

 within the city will be closed, and others jnust be 

 formed in the country,— the ])riniitive and oidy 

 proper location. There the dead may repose un- 

 disturbed, through countless ages. There can be 

 formed a public place of sepulchre, where moim- 

 mcnts can be erected to our illustrious men, whose 

 remains, thus far, have, unfortunately, been con- 

 signed to obscure and isolated tombs, instead of 

 being collected within one conimon depository, 

 where their great deeds might be perpetuated 

 and their memories cherished by succeeding gen- 

 erations. "Though dead, they would be eternal 

 admonitors to the living, — teaching them the way. 



eeds, and plants have been made by generous Uvhich leads to uatioiuil gbry and individual re- 

 oreigners, and citizens of the United States. A lib-] nowii. 



iral offer of co-operation has been promptly tender- 

 d, in both hemispheres, and great advantages are 

 nticipated, from a mutual interchange of good 

 ffices. 

 A library of considerable extent has been form- 

 I, containing many of the most celebrated 

 nglish and French works on horticulture, sev- 

 al of which are in.agnificent. The apartments 

 »r the accommodation of the Society, have been 

 artially embellished with beautiful painti)igs, of 

 i)me of our choice native varieties of fruits ; and 

 y weekly exhibitions, during eight months of the 

 ear, of fruits, flowers, and esculent vegetables ; 

 -by awarding premiums for proficiency in the art 

 gardening, and the rearing of new, valuable, 

 superior products ; — by disseminating intelli- 

 nce, and accomits of the proceedings of the 

 ciety at its regular and special meetings, through 

 e medium of the New England Farmer ; and by 

 annual festival, and public exhibition of the 



When it is perceived "what laudable efforts have i 

 been made in Europe, and how honorable the 

 results, it is impossible that the citizens of the 

 United States should long linger in the rear of 

 the general march of improvement. They will 

 hasten to present establishments, and to evince a 

 zeal for the encouragement of rural economy, 

 commensmate with the extent and natural re- 

 sources of the countrj', and tho variety of its soil 

 and climate. 



Your Committee have not a doubt that an at- 

 tempt should be made in this state to rival the 

 undertakings of other countries, in all that relates 

 to the cultivation of the soil. The intelligent, 

 patriotic and wealthy will cheerfully lend their 

 aid, in the establishment of a Garden of Experi- 

 ment, and a Cemetery. Massachusetts has 

 ever been distinguished for her public and private 

 munificence, in the endowment of colleges, acad- 

 emies, and numerous associations for inculcating 



knowledge, and the advancement of all branches 

 of industry. A confident reliance is therefore 

 reposed on the salne sources of beneficence. Tlie 

 Legislature will not refuse its patronage, but 

 will readily unite witii the People in generous 

 contributions, for the accomplishment of objects, 

 so well calculated to elevate the character of the 

 Commonwealth, and that of its citizens. 



The Experimental Garden is intended, for the 

 improvement of horticidture in all its departments, 

 ornamental, as well as useful. 



The objects which will chiefiy claim attention, 

 are, the collection and cultivation of common, im- 

 Iiroved, and new varieties of the different kinds 

 of Fruits, Esculent Vegetables, Forest and Orna- 

 mental Trees and Shrubs, Flowering, Economical 

 and other interesting Plants, which do not exclu- 

 sively belong to the predial department of tHlage ; 

 — |)aying particular attention to the qualities and 

 habits of each ; — instituting comparative experi- 

 ments, on the modes of culture, to which they 

 are usually subjected, so as to attain a know- 

 ledge of tho most useful, rare and beautiful spe- 

 cies ; — the best process of rearing and propagating 

 them, by seeds, scions, buds, suckers, layers, 

 anil cuttings; — the most successful methods of 

 insuring perfect and abundant crops, as well as 

 satisfactory results, in all the branches of useful 

 and ornaiuehtal planting, appertaining to Horti- 

 culture. 



Compartments to be assigned for the particular 

 cultivation of Fruit Trees, Timber Trees, Orna- 

 mental Trees, and. Slirubs, Esculent .Vegetables, 

 Flowers, a.'id for the location of Green Houses, 

 Stoves, Vineries, Orangeries, and Hot Beds. 



For the accommodation of the Garden of Ex- 

 periment and Ceuietory, at least seventy acres of 

 land are deemed necessary ; and in making the 

 selection of a site, it was very important that from 

 forty to fifty acres should be well or partially cov- 

 ered with forest trees and shrubs, which could bo 

 appropriated for the latter establishment ; and that 

 it should present all possible varieties of soil, com- 

 mon in the vicinity of Boston ; — be diversified by 

 bills, valleys, ]dains, brooks, and low meadows, 

 and bogs, so as to afford proper localities for every 

 kind of tree and plant, that will flourish in this 

 climate ; — be near to some large stream or river ; 

 I and easy of access by laid and water ; but still 

 sufficiently retired. 



I To realize these advantage;; it is proposed, that 

 a tract of land called Sweet Auburn, situated in 

 Cambridge, should be |)urchased. As a large por- 

 tion of the ground is now covered with trees, 

 shrubs and wild flowering plants, avenues and 

 walks may be made through them, in such a 

 I manner, as to render the whole establishment in- 

 ! teresting and beautiful, at a small expense, and 

 I within a few years ; and ultimately offer an exam- 

 I pie of landscape or picturesque gardening, in con- 

 formity to the modern style of laying out grounds, 

 which will be highly creditable to the Society. 



The streams, and parcels of bog and meadow 

 land may be easily converted into ponds, and vari- 

 ously formed sheets of water, which will fornish 

 appropriate positions for aquaitc plants, while tli€ir 

 borders may be planted with Rhododendrons, Az.. 

 aleas, several species of the snperb Magnolia, an(\ 



let* 



