*&n Address delivered before the Mass. Hort. Soc. 451 



returning wave on the neighboring sea-coast, or may be gathered on the 

 smooth and pebbly margin of many a broad and extended lake, or the 

 sedgy border of some crystal pond! What inestimable value does a 

 shapeless and rude fragment of some utensil of semi-barbarous nations, 

 a handful of dust from the site of some overthrown and almost forgot- 

 ten city, the most useless and veriest insignificant substance of ancient 

 art and of ancient pride possess, while the never changing, imperisha- 

 ble, ever eloquent, constantly useful, and always instructive types and 

 originals of Creation's first Existence are overlooked and despised! 

 These tell of the majesty and excellence, the deep, thrilling, instructive 

 voice of Nature, to the reflecting and thinking mind; those — that indi- 

 viduals of our own species once lived — and died — and passed away in- 

 to comparative oblivion. These unfold to us leaf after leaf, of those 

 constantly instructive pages, which are written on the heavens and en- 

 graven on the earth, — while those only assure us, that the same opera- 

 tions of the natural world are every where the same in mode and effect. 

 These exhibit to our admiring eye, the inimitable perfection of Creative 

 Power, — and those only the extent of human industry and skill." 



We congratulate the society upon their having been so fortu- 

 nate as to avail themselves of the services of Mr. Russell. It is 

 at once a manifestation of their admiration of his talents, which, 

 we are happy to have the opportunity to say, are of no ordinary 

 character. It would give us the utmost pleasure to see him 

 placed in some good and lucrative professorship, connected with 

 some of our institutions, where his valuable services would be 

 better known and appreciated. Indeed, we are fully persuaded 

 that no one could be found who would be more devoted to his 

 profession, or fill such a place with so much satisfaction to the 

 institution to which he might be attached. 



Art. TI. An Address delivered before the Massachusetts Hor- 

 ticultural Society at their Eighth Anniversary^ September 

 17th, 1836. By Ezra Weston, Jr. Pamphlet, 8vo. pp. 

 40. Boston. 1836. 



The address of Mr. Weston, though very brief, is full of in- 

 terest to the horticulturist. It is in substance an account of the 

 theory of Di. Van Mons, of Belgium, in producing new varieties 

 of fruits from seed; and Mr. Weston, though not, we believe, 

 either a practical or physiological horticulturist, has succeeded 

 well in offering to the notice of the society some of the most 



