11 



such men ; their vision comprised the world abroad as well 

 as at home. Thoroughly American in all their views, loyal 

 almost to excess, jealous of all attempts to depreciate the 

 character or skill of our people, yet ever ready to avail 

 themselves of everything new, come from what source it 

 might, and perfectly familiar with European works on agri- 

 culture and horticulture, they had not omitted to perceive 

 the rapid progress of the latter art ; and while devoted to 

 the one, the other was not forgotten. It was thus that the 

 foundation was laid, upon which much of our subsequent 

 advance in horticulture was reared. 



It is only in the pages of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Repository that we can find any very particular and detailed 

 account of horticultural art previous to the formation of our 

 Society, and from one contributor, almost alone, came nearly 

 all that was written of much value for some years. This was 

 the late Hon. John Lowell, who has not improperly been 

 styled the Columella of America. He was an amateur cul- 

 tivator in the true meaning of the word, and he never 

 failed to record everything new and important concerning 

 horticultural art. Time and again he brought it before the 

 pubUc, sometimes by recording his own practice, but gen- 

 erally in the prefatory remarks to some scientific work upon 

 the subject. It was in one of the latter articles that he 

 remarks : " To those who may be disposed to consider 

 horticulture as less interesting anS less within the province 

 of this Society, we would observe (at the hazard of repeating 

 and reiiyfQrcing the remarks we have already made), that it 



