9 



Oliver. In this year the anniversary of the society was 

 celebrated by the first Triennial Festival. It was held 

 at Concert Hall, which on this occasion presented a 

 scene of unsurpassed beauty. The question of admit- 

 ting ladies to the tables had been discussed ; and objec- 

 tions were made on the ground, that, if we had the 

 ladies, we could not have wine : but the better judgment 

 prevailed, the wine being cast out, and women being- 

 kept in. And here I am reminded that when, in 1830, 

 " women's rights" were incidentally discussed on a prop- 

 osition to elect as honorary members Mrs. Gov. Gore, 

 Mrs. Dix, and Mrs. Griffith of New Jersey, all known for 

 their zeal in forwarding the objects of the society, some 

 thought it of doubtful expediency, because a Avoman in 

 the garden made great trouble as long ago as the days 

 of Adam. Gen. Dearborn, however, silenced all cavil- 

 lers, and the candidates were admitted ; and now ladies 

 are elected, not merely honorary, but immediate mem- 

 bers ; and not only are our discussions and other meet- 

 ings graced by their presence, but their contributions to 

 the exhibitions are among * the most beautiful and 

 attractive in the halls. The Bon Silene rose was first 

 exhibited May 20, 18J:3. The Lawrence and Doyenne 

 Boussock pears, and the Mother, Ladies' Sweet, and 

 Northern Spy apples, were first brought before the so- 

 ciety in the same year. August 24, 184:1:, sixteen dishes 

 of Washington plums were shown by as many contrib- 

 utors. Some of the largest specimens averaged three 

 ounces and One-eighth in weight. The next week there 

 were seventy dishes of plums, in thirty varieties. The 

 Beurre d'Anjou pear was shown by Marshall P. Wilder 

 at the annual exhibition. 



This brings us to an epoch in the history of the 

 society, — the erection of the first horticultural hall, 

 — which suggests a brief review of what may be called 

 the first era in the history of the society. It was espe- 



