10 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1885. 



our claims and affect to depreciate or deny our merit in the 

 premises. They forget — more likely never knew — what Worces- 

 ter Town, or County, was, of old ; how few were the skilled 

 Pomolosrists : how limited was the number of varieties of 

 Apples, in common enjoyment; how poor and much more 

 restricted was the list of Pears. The Lilac, it is true, was 

 fragrant in every door-yard, supplying a homely genuine beauty 

 that still retains its charm. But that wealth of iloriage, — it 

 might almost be said of foliage, in view of the fashionable varie- 

 gation ; that is visible everywhere in the contracted court, upon 

 the wider lawn, or throughout costly and extended pleasure- 

 grounds ; — was apparent nowhere, because it nowhere had ex- 

 istence. For now Forty-Three Years has this Society been 

 Preacher of the new dispensation, — if not of " sweetness and 

 light," at least of beauty and good taste. Go where you will, — 

 look as you choose ! — and you cannot miss seeing all around you, 

 the plenteous evidence that its seed has not been sown on stony 

 ground. Some fell among thorns, it is true ; but our sturdy 

 founders uprooted or mowed them down. So that now we 

 behold, in every direction (and as we behold, derive enjoyment), 

 Flower-Garden, and Orchard, and latest, perhaps best of all, — 

 Yineyard, — in which emulation takes precedence of content- 

 ment : in which none are idly satisfied with what is, so long as 

 there is better to be attained ; wherein the best is sought and, as 

 competitive trials have proved, often achieved. For all, or the 

 greater part of this, — it is no exaggeration for those in whose 

 life-time it has occurred, to ascribe unstinted credit to the cease- 

 less effort, advice, and encouragement extended by the Worcester 

 County Horticultural Society. 



But yet, — have we done all that we could ? So long as aught 

 remains to be accomplished, shall we consider our work complete ? 

 Is it the chief end of the Horticultural man, or woman, to pro- 

 duce and exhibit an apple or pear that may weigh, this year, a 

 quarter-ounce more than a similar specimen did, in 1884? Be- 

 cause, by parity of reasoning, should it weigh less, you must 

 admit a failure. Does the florist, — he or she, — analyze the 

 Marigold, or Kose, to determine the potency of its perfume 1 

 And whether it has gained, or lost, as the seasons succeed each 



