have on record, is in the garden of J. F. Allen, in July, 1838. This 

 specimen is now in a good state of preservation in the Museum. 



On Thursday evening, June 25, 1840, Francis Putnam exhibited 

 three flowers at the rooms of the Essex County Natural History So- 

 ciety. Since that time, every year several have expanded in the 

 houses of Messrs. F. Putnam, C. Hoffman, and perhaps others. 



Robert Manning* commenced his Pomological Garden in North Sa- 

 ]em, in 1823. At the time of his death, it was unrivalled in the va- 

 riety of fruits then cultivated, containing nearly one thousand varieties 

 of pears, besides of apples, peaches, plums, cherries, some hundreds 

 more ; no precise number having been obtained ; probably, including 

 all kinds of fruits, not far from two thousand varieties. His principal 

 object in the formation of this garden was rather to collect together 

 the several varieties in order to identification, to test their qualities 

 and to correct the nomenclature which had been in confusion, than to 

 grow fine specimens or to originate new varieties ; these did not much 

 occupy his attention, although several varieties, particularly of cher- 

 ries, are his seedlings and bear his name. He died October 10, 1842, 

 aged 58, in the midst of his labors and usefulness. He was an enthu- 

 siastic and most accurate and discriminating pomologist, and so very 

 familiar with the names and habits of the trees and the qualities of 

 fruits, that he could readily identify at sight even the most rare kinds. 

 He was one of the original' members of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society,f and. a regular attendant, with liberal contributions 

 almost always labelled, at its earlier exhibitions. He was a man of 

 great simplicity of character and liberality of disposition, freely im- 

 parting to others information which cost him much study and re- 

 search. His labors in the cause of pomological science by the intro- 



* Robert Manning was born at Salem, July 19, 1784; m. Dec. 20,1824, Rebecca 

 Dodge Burnham of Ipswich. His principal business in life, aside from his horti- 

 cultural pursuits, was that of a stage agent; in this occupation several members 

 of his family were largely interested. His sister Elizabeth was the mother of 

 Nathaniel Hawthorne, who had such a brilliant and successful literary career; b. 

 at Salem, July 4, 1804; gr. Bowdoin College, 1825; died at Plymouth, N. H., on a 

 journey for his health, Ma;h*n), 18(54. His father, Richard Manning, b. at Ipswich, 

 May 29, 1755; m. Miriam Lord, May 30, 1776, and soon after removed to Salem; a 

 blacksmith, stagekeeper and landholder; d. at Newbury while on a journey, April 

 19, 1813. His grandfather, John Manning, b, March 16, 1703, was the son of Thomas, 

 b. in 'England, Feb.. 11, 1664; admitted an inhabitant of Ipswich, Feb. 10,1684-^5; 

 and d. May 14, 1737. Thomas Manning was the son of Richard Manning, who was 

 baptized at St. Patrick's Parish, Dartmoor, England, in 1622; married Anstice Cal- 

 ley, and had seven children. The father died in England. The mother came over 

 (a widow) with the children, who settled principally in Salem. 



t See a series of articles on "Reminiscences of Massachusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety,-'' now being printed in Tilton's Journal of Horticulture, from the pen of John 

 B. Russell, an original member. 



