Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 117 



[Certainly we do ; and we are glad that our correspondent ex- 

 presses himself so frankly. But why does not our respected friend 

 set about writing an article, and thus contribute something to take the 

 place of that which he finds fault with. It is easy to say what should be 

 done, but not so easy to accomplish it. Could we fill our pages with spir- 

 ited articles from the pens of amateurs, we might be induced to curtail 

 all reports, to give them place. But we disag>-ee with our correspondent 

 in relation to the reports ; we cannot believe tliat they are not interesting, 

 even to distant subscribers. We have been a reader of Loudon's Gir- 

 dener's Magazine, ever since its commencement, eighteen years, — and the 

 reports of the London Horticultural Society, which have been given in 

 its pages, we have always considered as one of its most interesting feat- 

 ures. We believe also, that to a large majority of our readers, the reports 

 of the Mass. Horticultural Society and the Penn. Horticultural Sofciety, 

 are equally interesting. It is here indeed that persons at a distance from 

 the city learn that a certain flower or fruit has actually flowered or fruited 

 in this country, and is ready for sale, and the name of the exhibiter is often 

 the nurseryman who has it for sale. Mr. Manning's great collection of 

 fruits would never have become so well known, except tlirough our reports 

 of the hundreds of varieties annually exhibited by him. And we offer 

 this as an instance of the value which the reports generally possess. 

 Even ouv correspondent we are sure will alloAv, that the names of many 

 fruits which he has in his collection, and others which he may be desir- 

 ous of procuring, were first seen in our reports. 



We repeat, that when amateurs and practical gardeners shall flood us 

 with original articles, so that we shall have to encroach upon our reports, 

 for room, we shall most assuredly curtail them till nothing is left but what 

 is really valuable to every subscriber far and near. — Ed.] 



Art. IV. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Saturday, Feb. 4, 1843. — An adjourned meeting of the Society was 

 held to-day — the President in the chair. 



J. N. E. Mann, of Dedham, was admitted a subscription member. Ad- 

 journed two weeks. 



Feb. 18th. — An adjourned meeting of the Society — the President in the 

 chair. 



The Secretary being absent, C. M. Hovey was appointed Secretary 

 pro tern. 



The President, from the Committee on the distribution of seeds, re- 

 ported that they had placed the same in the hands of Mr. W. E. Carter of 

 the Botanic Garden, one of the Committee, with the understanding, that 

 should any of them prove worthy of introduction into our gardens, seeds 

 or plants of the same shall be placed at the disposal of the Society for 

 distribution among the members ; and that Mr. Carter, under the di- 

 rection of Prof. Gray, procure a suitable collection of seeds, including a 

 variety of our native phloxes, to be sent to Prof Fischer of Botanic Gar- 

 den of St, Petersburg, through the corresponding Secretary of the Soci- 

 ety. Meeting adjourned two weeks. 



