88 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ADDRESS OF JOSEPH BRECK, ESQ., 



PRESIDENT OF MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 

 January 4, 1862. 



Gentlemen : 



I enter upon the duties of the Presidency of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society for a fourth term, contrary to my expectations and wishes, as 

 expressed a year since, and up to the time of my nomination in September. 



It was the opinion of the committee of nomination and other influential 

 members that the interests of the Society would be promoted by my continu- 

 ance in office another year. 



The interests of the Society and not my personal feelings induced me to 

 accept the nomination, which resulted in my election ; and now I come before 

 you once more on the commencement of a new year, to thank you for this re- 

 newed expression of your confidence, wishing you at the same time happiness 

 and prosperity in our mutual labors and efforts to promote the objects for which 

 we are associated together. 



The past year will long be remembered, not only on account of the dark 

 political aspects of the country, and the horrors of civil war, which has raged 

 with such fearful violence in some sections of our land ; but particularly by 

 horticulturists, in the strange and sudden changes of the weather, which have 

 been the causes of almost a total failure of nearly every variety of fruit. 



Consequently, with one of the most favorable seasons ever known for the 

 perfection of the pear, peach, grape and other fruits, we have to record a year 

 of barrenness and deficiency unparalleled in our horticultural experience. 



The peculiarities of the season, and its effect upon fruit and fruit trees, have 

 been so ably discussed in the report of the Fruit committee, which will soon 

 be published and placed in your hands, that it will not be necessary for me to 

 make any further allusions to it. It will add much to the value of future 

 publications of this committee, if this practice should be continued, and, if 

 possible, enter more minutely into all the details of the season, which, as such 

 reports are generally read with much interest by members of the Society, will 

 be important documents for reference in future years. 



It af)pears from the records of the Society that we have not made any prog- 

 ress as to the increase of its members the past year, but the number has 

 diminished. Eight life and fourteen annual members have been added, while 

 six life and six annual members have deceased, and twenty-two have discon- 

 tinued their membership, a diminution of twelve. The present number is 245 

 life and 326 annual members. Total 571. 



