100 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



fine mansion. He was fortunate in securing a fine English gardener, 

 newly arrived in this country; his place rapidly improved under the 

 new gardener's care and after two years' work, when the owner 

 saw he was getting good results, he became greatly interested and 

 invested freely large sums to carry on the improvements and enrich 

 the grounds with plantings of rare and beautiful trees and shrubs; 

 he built additional greenhouses, bought many plants, and also a 

 fine collection of orchids. Everything prospered and was a source 

 of great pleasure to the owner and his friends, when suddenly the 

 good gardener was stricken with an incurable disease and had to 

 give up work. The place was then put in charge of his first assist- 

 ant, a young man about 26 years old, who was given a fine oppor- 

 tunity to make a name for himself, but he could not stand even a 

 little prosperity; took to drinking and playing the races, and 

 during a spree in which he did not put in an appearance for two 

 days, an accident to the boilers resulted in the entire stock of plants 

 being frozen to death. The owner, who had plenty of money to 

 spend in gratifying his tastes, lost all interest in gardening and 

 became a liberal patron of other fine arts. His collection of paint- 

 ings and examples of fine sculpture are known far and wide, but 

 the greenhouses are empty, the garden neglected, and it is not 

 likely the owner's interest in these will ever be re\-ived. 



Another instance coming under my immediate observation 

 interested me still more : — One of the wealthiest men in the 

 neighborhood of Philadelphia, retiring from active business, built 

 one of the finest mansions in the state, employed the highest talent 

 in landscape gardening, and with a large force of men in a couple 

 of years had the new place greatly improved. He employed a 

 young German gardener who had previously, at a salary of only 

 $60 per month, made a good name for himself; gave him entire 

 charge, and he worked with such intelligence, industry, and honesty, 

 that the employer built for him additional ranges of glass about 

 two years ago at a cost of fifty thousand dollars, and allows him to 

 spend annually a large sum in improving the place. Only last 

 summer he took a trip to Europe at his employer's expense with 

 power to purchase such rare plants as he might select. His salary 

 is now quite satisfactory to him. Oh! but you say, this was a 

 rare case; perhaps it was, but I am sure at the rate wealth is in- 



