18 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



ful liberty to watch for the first developing buds and flowers, 

 for there are no fruits without flowers, — to listen to the hum 

 of the industrious bee gathering honey for their use, — to observe 

 the maturing of the early fruit and feast thereon to satiety — 

 will not only have no temptation to steal, but they will not know 

 what it is to be covetous, and they will gladly give to those of 

 their fellows who have none, and so cultivate a character for 

 lios])itality, that should be encouraged. 



The chief difficulty in the matter of trees, whether fruit or 

 ornamental, is their scarcity. In this city of twelve thousand 

 inhabitants there is not a semblance of a nursery, nor is there 

 any of consequence in this part of the county. No better open- 

 ing for this business could probably be found in the country. 

 Individuals, therefore, who will have them, are often obliged to 

 send to Boston and vicinity, not only for fruits, but for the trees 

 themselves. And more than this, it is well known that the 

 Cross pear, an excellent winter variety, originated in this city — 

 the parent tree being almost within a stone's throw of where we 

 now stand. In vain we searched the country round for this 

 variety and were finally obliged to send to France to obtain it, 

 and actually imported some half dozen, now growing in our 

 grounds. Enterprising nurserymen abroad keep an eye on all 

 new kinds of valuable fruits and flowers, procure and propagate 

 them, hybridize and raise from seed, and where labor is cheap, 

 can afford them at less cost, in quantities, than if grown here. 



In this connection we take the liberty to say — not to parade 

 any thing we have done, but for the benefit of poor beginners 

 like us, who would have a home however homely, and are will- 

 ing to begin at the beginning with the young saplings — that in 

 the spring of 1853 we imported, among other things, one thou, 

 sand seedling Norway spruces, without exception the most 

 valuable evergreen tree in the world, for New England climate, 

 at an expense of less than ten dollars, or less than one cent 

 apiece. After three years' growth these were transplanted, 

 making six hundred feet of garden hedge, and surrounding a 

 field of six acres, at suitable distances for an ornamental screen. 

 Hundreds of dollars would not purchase the lot of trees, only 

 about two per cent, of the whole number having been lost. 



It is, however, no part of this address to attempt to point out 

 which of the vast variety of trees and fruits should be selected. 



