38 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Sutton's land is on the same stream, but a few rods further down, adjoin- 

 ing Mr. Thwing's, and in every respect as well adapted for the growth of the 

 Heather, yet it occurs only on the land of Mr, Thwing. The next supposition 

 was, it had been planted by Mr. Thwing, but upon questioning him we found 

 he had only owned the farm for about three years, had found the Heather in 

 its present locality, but though considering it a pretty flowering plant, and one 

 not found elsewhere on his farm, he had known nothing of its rarity, nor given 

 the matter a second thought. He had used the land for a peat meadow, and 

 for pasturage, and had remarked the cattle would not browse on the plant. 

 He had purchased the farm of Caleb Livingston of Lowell, in whose family it 

 had been for a long time. Mr. Thwing took great interest in the discovery, 

 did everything in his power to aid the Committee, and has agreed to so pro- 

 tect the plants as to preserve them from injury or removal by tyro botanists, or 

 speculating nurserymen. 



Another ingenious theory was, that the seed of the Heather had been 

 washed down by the storm, and, being deposited on a congenial soil, had vege- 

 tated and thriven. It is well known that the seed of the Heather is very 

 minute, and will preserve its vitality for years. The plant not unfrequently 

 springs up in the earth in which imported plants are potted. But to meet this 

 theory, it was ascertained that there is, or had been, no greenhouse or importer 

 of foreign plants anywhere in the neighborhood, or on the course of the stream ; 

 and the question at once arose, why should the plant occur in this one spot, 

 when there are so many localities all along the stream, for miles, equally 

 fixvnrable for its development ? The neighbors, on being questioned, stated 

 they had never observed it elsewhere, except Mr. Sutton, who retnembered 

 seeing, some years since, a plant on the other side of the brook, directly op- 

 posite the present locality. Since the attention of the Society had been called 

 to the Heather, he had searched for this plant, but unsuccessfully. As the 

 opposite meadow is a mowing field, on which the meadow grass is cut in 

 August, it is not surprising the plant has been destroyed. The evidence taken 

 thus far proves only that the plant has existed in the same place for ten years 

 or more, and the opinion of the Committee was adverse to its being considered 

 indigenous. Upon inquiry it was ascertained that until within ten years or 

 more the field has been used for mowing, but lately has been pastured ; this 

 would account for the occurrence of no decaying clumps, and no old dead 

 branches. Mr. Dawson's attention was first attracted to the plant through 

 members of Mr. Sutton's family, some years ago ; its existence has also been 

 known to parties in Salem, Mass., for some time, and plants, removed from 

 Tewksbury, are flourishing in a garden in Salem. 



The next step in the investigation was to interrogate Mr. Livingston, the 

 former owner of the farm. At first he could remember no such plant ; but 

 upon being shown a sprig of the Heather he remembered the occurrence of 

 such a plant in a place on the farm, which he designated, many years ago. 

 His account is as follows: Many years ago, say fifty or more, when he was a 



