32 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



ciety, and the visit made to him was not in an official capacity, — farther 

 than to say, that it is stocked with a large collection of fruit of rare and 

 choice varieties, cultivated with scientific skill. 



The gardens and grounds of Mr. Gushing are so well known, and have 

 been so often described, that any attempt at a description, or an enumera- 

 tion of their contents on the present occasion, would be superfluous. Un- 

 der the supervision and skilful management of Messrs. Shimmin and Evers, 

 the well-deserved reputation of this place, as comprising within its limits 

 most that was rare and beautiful, useful and ornamental, as affording evi- 

 dence of great artistic taste in laying out its grounds, and of knowledge 

 and ability employed in their cultivation, seems to be well maintained. At 

 the time of the visit of your Committee, the place was seen under very un- 

 favorable circumstances ; a severe drought prevailed. It was at a season 

 of the year when the greenhouse plants and roses were stripped of flowers, 

 and in the forcing houses the vines and fruit, while the flowering plants of 

 a later season were not yet in blow, or the later fruits yet ripe ; still, there 

 was much to interest, and everywhere proofs of the taste and judgment ot 

 the proprietor, and of the skill and good management of the superintend- 

 ents. During the past year Mr. Gushing had been unfortunate with his 

 pear trees, many of them having died. 



On July 29th your Gommittee examined the garden of Mr. Tudor at 

 Nahant. This place of Mr. Tudor's is one of the most striking that has 

 come under their observation, combining, as it does, architectural taste in 

 the buildings, beauty of situation and extensive views, with well arranged 

 grounds, and the application of the most approved discoveries of mechanical 

 ingenuity, to tlie purposes of convenience, together with a large collection 

 of fruit trees of the choicest varieties, and all the appliances of enjoyment 

 and comfort called for in a villa residence. Everything was in good order. 

 The trees and plants in the gardens seemed particularly flourishing, and 

 this, notwithstanding the adverse circumstances of a situation naturally un- 

 congenial, from its exposure to high winds, blowing directly over and from 

 the Bay, and of a soil hard and sterile. These seemingly insurmountable 

 obstacles, have been skilfully overcome, in the first instance, by the erec- 

 tion of high latticed fences and walls around the fruit gardens, creating a 

 very perfect artificial shelter ; and in the latter, by trenching the soil to- 

 gether, with the application of suitable fertilizing agents. Mr. Tudor's 

 house is situated on the brow of a hill, so that the ground slopes from it in 

 two directions, and it is upon the descent on each side of the house, that 

 the gardens are situated. This method of planting his trees, on the de- 

 scending ground, Mr. Tudor thinks of great advantage, because, by throw- 

 ing up a slight embankment of earth on tlie lower side of each tree, and 

 suitably removed from it, somewhat in the form of a crescent, the progress 

 of the rain water as it flows down from tlie upper part of the ground, is 

 arrested about each tree, in the basin formed by these crescent shaped em- 

 bankments, and thus a much more copious watering is provided, than if the 

 trees were on level ground. Mr. Tudor has great confidence in the stimu- 

 lating effects of a copious supi)ly of rain water to his trees, as proved by a 



