11 



era that ocean steam-navigation was established, giving 

 a powerful impetus to horticulture by the facilities 

 which it afForclecl for the interchange and concentration 

 of the fruits and flowers of every climate, many of which 

 found a place in the orchards and gardens of New Eng- 

 land. And not only in NeAv England, but in distant 

 States, might be seen fruits and flowers whose existence 

 could be traced to the influence of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society. 



I have thus briefly summed up some of the principal 

 events in the history of the first era of the society. 

 Prosperous and progressive as it had been during its 

 first fifteen years, we come now to an event which 

 marks an epoch, and introduces a new era in its his- 

 tory, — the erection of the first horticultural hall, which 

 was, so far as is known, the first building ever erected 

 for the use of any horticultural society in the world. 



The corner-stone was laid on the 14th of September, 



1844, with appropriate services, in the presence of a 

 large assembly, on the site of the old Latin schoolhonse, 

 now covered by the east end of the Parker House. He 

 who now addresses you performed the service of de- 

 positing the leaden casket of coins and documents, and 

 pronouncing a brief address on the rise and progress of 

 the society to that day. Of the fifteen members of the 

 building committee, only Mr. C. M. Hovey and myself 

 still live. The hall was dedicated on the 15th of May, 



1845, with an address by Hon. George Lunt, and was 

 formally opened to the public at the exhibition on the 

 31st of the same month. In the words of Mr. ECovey, 

 in his address on laying the corner-stone of the present 

 edifice in 1864, " From that time, the progress of the 

 society has been more rapid, and the influence felt 

 throughout the entire country. New life and fresh 

 vitality were infused into the society. It had the sym- 

 pathy, as it had the substantial aid, of the public. It 



