72 Pctuisylcania Horticultural Society. 



cessary of life to all whose minds arc, in any considerable degree, imbued 

 with tlie love of it. 



There is another principle which may be adverted to, as having a 

 strong influence upon the duration of such a society as this. It is a sci- 

 entific as well as a practical society. It need not be said, that in the esti- 

 mation of the best judges, the scientific objects of such a society deserv- 

 edly hold the preeminence ; and that if its pretensions in this branch are 

 not respectably sustained, no degree of merit, in encouraging tlie practi- 

 cal department, will secure the consideration and respect of judges of this 

 description. The opinion of such men rule the world in such matters. 

 What they respect the mass will respect, and assist to carry forward- 

 What they despise or ridicule, or treat as unworthy of their regard, the 

 mass will finally imitate tliem, in perhaps despising and ridiculing, and 

 certainly in neglecting. 



The committee desire to impress upon the members of the society the 

 connexion between these considerations and the growth and permanent 

 existence of tlie institution. 



The society has now been in existence about fifteen years, and its influ- 

 ence thus far has been quite remarkable. The practice of horticulture 

 has made, within that period, very striking advances among us. It is not 

 at all probable that, for the time to come, its progress, in the practical 

 part, will be in the same proportion. A taste for the flowers and fruits 

 that it has made so abundant, has also increased to an equal extent. Wc 

 have many professional gardens, and an equal or greater number belong- 

 ing to private gentlemen, that give the air of spring to the decoration of 

 our winter saloons ; and the skill which has been shown in the kitchen- 

 garden, has been such as almost equally to divide the praises of the city 

 between Camellias, Azaleas and Cacti, and the magnificent specimens of 

 every culinary vegetable with which, for the greater part of the year, our 

 tables are covered. In these respects we have done well. The practice 

 of the art, and a taste for its products, are in great perfection ; and tlie 

 society may claim much of the credit of it. But the question is, whether 

 the society has now the scientific cast in its researches which the commu- 

 nity begins to look for, in a body so near its maturity, in point of age ? 

 The committee do not mean to say that it has not ; but the duties of the 

 committee seem to include that of calling the attention of the society to 

 the subject, and of hinting its apprehension that mere displays of beauti- 

 ful flowers, fine fruits and superb vegetables, may at length become so 

 uniform and so common, that the merit of producing and exhibiting them, 

 like every thing that is common, will be undervalued. 



It was the object of the society, in appointing the committee on new 

 plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables, to encourage its professional and 

 amateur gardeners to extend their researches into all the regions of horti- 

 culture, and to increase their collections by the constant accession of 

 things new, as well as beautiful or useful, — to keep its members up to 

 the knowledge of what is doing in other parts of the world in this depart- 

 ment, — to emulate the steps of similar societies abroad, — and thus to 

 secure both the respect of the learned, and the continuance of public 

 favor and support. One of the express objects of our incorporation was, 

 to introduce into our country " new varieties and species." 



We have ample means among us to promote tliis enterprize. We havs 

 in our society men who have adequate knowledge and adequate resourcee. 



