374 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



A.ND HORTICCLTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, May 29, 1839. 



IMPROVEMENT 

 Improvement ! We are dUposod to think tl.al this is 

 the best word in the language, because it signifies the 

 best thing in thi. world. It combines most of hope.- 

 " herever things are stationary, hope expires ; but where 

 there are progress and advancement, hope Is continually 

 fed and st.mulalcd ; and as we ascend, the pio.pect wi- 

 dens. It brings more happiness with it than anything 

 else in life. The human heart knows no sensation more 

 ideasureable and more satisfying than the consciousness 

 -f advancement. To be growing better, and to perceive 

 the capacity of growing better continually unfolding it- 

 self and becoming more and more enlarged, inspires a 

 bigh sentiment of the dignity and value ofour existence ; 

 calls out and urges to their utmost speed, all the faoul- 

 tics of our minds ; and gratifies the besi afieciions of our 

 nature. It is in this matter, likewise, that man acquires 

 a sentiment, if we may be allowed the cvpressiun, of the 

 infinity of his nature. The brute creation soon reach the 

 end of iheir line. The birds have built their nests in 

 the same form and sung the same song ever since 

 the race was created. In the same species, invention 

 if it may be called invention, reaches to a certain point 

 and then stops; and in this respect, unless in a case of 

 disease or unnatural impotence, invention is the same 

 in all ofthe same family, and no one goes beyond anoth- 

 er. They gain ho advantages from experience, and they 

 learn nothing from each other. How diiTerent is the 

 case with man ; how infinitely does the Human intellect 

 transcend the bi-ute instinct. To tlie mind of man to 

 lis inventions, it* conceptions, its desiftis, its attemiits. 

 Its aspirings, what limit has been founj'or can be con- 

 ceived ? Even here there is ati ocoan of knowled<re 

 spread out before it, boundless, fat.homtess. But beyond 

 this world, there is a universe forita exploration, and an 

 eternity to labor in. These considerations proclaim the 

 infinity ofthe human being. 



Wherever this spirit of improvement is discoverable 

 and puts forth in any, even the most humble form, its' 

 beautiful manifestations, it Imparts the highest pleasure 

 to the benevolent heart. The improvement of the hu- 

 man mind, so that it may soar higher, know more, ac- 

 quire faster, retain longer, is a delightful process in the 

 experience and the contemplation. The improvement 

 ofthe character, the moral nature, so as to exalt the 

 standard of duty, give to the individual a more complete 

 self-posse.ssion, render vite odious, and attach us to du- 

 ly and virtue as the business and purpose of life, extend 

 the usefulness of man, and render him the benefactor 

 and the ornament ofthe creation, this we all acknowl- 

 edge to be the highest good and happiness of his being. 

 The improvement of his outward condition, his animal 

 subsistence, his personal acoommodaLions, his physical 

 condition, his external comforts, his sensible pleasures, 

 so as to render his food more abundant, more palatable,' 

 moie healthful, more nutritious, his repose more peace- 

 ful, his labor less toilsome, the earnings of his industry 

 more secure ; so as to render his residence more bcauli- 

 ful, more tasteful, more attractive, and to mulUply the 

 sources and means of innocent gratification— all this is 

 adopted to impart a rich and unalloyed pleasure to a 

 contemplative and benevolent mind. \Vlien these im- 

 provements go on rapidly and their impulse quickens as 

 they advance ; when we see them, like the risincr spring, 

 tide upon our broken and indented shores, gmdually 

 widening themselves out, breaking over temporary im- 



pediments, pressing into every creek and opening, filling 

 every ditch and cavity, and at length spreading them- 

 selves out in a broken and mirrored surface over wide 

 plains, and leaving, wherever the waters come, rich de- 

 posits to quicken and supply the latent but active vege- 

 tation ; there is a charm in the prospect, in the good at 

 lained, and the returns anticipated, which refreshes, de- 

 lights, and elevates the mind— teaches the value of our 

 being, and makes us thankful to God that we are alive. 

 "I pity the man," says Tristram Shandy, "that can 

 travel from Dan to Bathslicba and cry that it is all a 

 desert." Indeed he is to be pitied for his heartlessnese, 

 selfishness, and inhumanity. 



We have been led into these reflections in looking at 

 the condition of our own community, and in strollin" 

 through the highways and the byways, upon the bills 

 and in the valleys, in the gardens and over the fields in 

 the vicinity of Boston, withis the Inst fortnight of this 

 charming and delicious month of May. It would be 

 thoughtout ofplaceby the f.istidious, if we went into 

 any discussion ofthe intellectual and moral condition of 

 our community in this journal ; and therefore we ab- 

 stain. Yet we cannot but think that the improvement 

 of man's physical condition has a direct influence upon 

 the improvement of his intellectual and moral nature. 

 In proportion as the comforts and luxuries of life are 

 difl^used and equalized, they become less the objects of 

 envy, covetousness, and plunder. Where fruit abounds 

 it is seldom stolen. So, likewise, in proportion as man's 

 outward condition is improved, as he attends to the 

 cleanliness of his person, the neatness of his dress, the 

 elegance and tastefulness of his residence, and multiplies 

 about him objects of refined taste and beauty, his self- 

 respect is strengthened, his value of character elevated, 

 his sentiment of honor quickened. These are among 

 the great securities of virtue and powerful excitements 

 of virtuous ambition. The improved perceptions of out- 

 ward beauty, the beauty of natural objects, are direct 

 aids and quickeners of our moral perceptions, and refin- 

 ers and improvers of our moral tastes. 



But in respect to the external condition of things a- ' 

 mongusand around us, the actual advances and°im- 

 provements made witiiin the last thirty years are abso- 

 lutely amazing. Within that period and within a cir- 

 cuit of twenty milts round the capital, thousands and 

 thousands of acres which seemed too barren ever to he 

 rendered productive, or too rocky ever to admit the 

 plough, or too wet ever to be redeemed, have been 

 brought into a condition of fertility and are covered with 

 a luxuriant vegetation. Where here and there was an 

 elegant mansion, belonging to some individual of prince- 

 ly wealth, whose privileged situation presented an insu- 

 lar aspect and seemed placed altogether beyond the ; 

 reach ofthe many, there are now hundreds and bun- i 

 dreds of elegant cottages and villas, belonging honestly \ 

 to individuals who earn their daily bread by'their daily 

 labor; blessed at the same time with sufficient liberality 

 to adorn their residences with beautiful embellishments; I 

 and wiih improved taste to enjoy many of the most re- 1 

 fined luxuries of rural life. Thirty years ago, the cuiti 

 vatiun of fine fruit was limited to a few ; refuse apples, 

 fit hardly for cider; pucker-mouth pears, which set the 

 children as well as the fathers' teeth on edge; field 

 strawberries, with their stems and leaves and htlf-form- 

 od fruit upon them ; wild grapes, about of the hardness 

 of green peas and flavor of crab-apples; currants, black- 

 berries and wild cherries, whose acid made your eyes 

 sparkle with tears when you broke their skin, constituted 

 some ofthe principal luxuries ofthe market. Now, green 

 houses and conservatories and forcing beds in the coun- 

 try are getting to be an almost indispensable appeaiJage 

 toeverj handsome residence; and the richest fruirs. 



MAY 39, 1830. 

 peaches, nectarines, pears, and grape^T^^MdT^iT^.,. 

 ble of being reared in our chmate, are spread about m 

 the vicinity ofthe capital and fast findim; their way far 

 into the interior in the richest profusion' Add to this 

 the cultivation of flowers, which is extending itself with 

 Iho most extraordinary profusion. Not many years 

 smce.afew wild roses, pinks, prince..s-foather, sweet. 

 Williams, lady's delight, tulips, lilacs and marigolds, con- 

 stituted the whole parterre ; and even these were Icok- 

 ed upon as rare luxuries ; and if the children at scIi.h.I 

 could fine a dandelion or lilac or a white daisy to stick 

 in their bonnet, it was deemed no common acquisition 

 Now, everywhere, certainly in this vicinitv, the m,.st 

 common houses show the most beautiful green-house 

 plants at their windows ; their daphnes japonicas, "era- 

 mums and lilies; their front yards bloom throu..h|he 

 season with a succession „f the most splendid flowering 

 I shrubs, and their door-ways and pi.zzas are trellised 

 with woodbine and monthly roses, and breathe the de- 

 licious odors of thesweetbriarandthe honeysuckle. 



All these things mark a progress in refinement and 

 mnoccnt lu.xury, in every respect auspicious to comfoit 

 general improvement and humanity; and fill to over- 

 flowing the bosom, susceptible of grateful influences 

 with thankfulness to that Gracious Being, who has made' 

 this creation so beautiful, and given man so much to en- 

 joy ; andwho%vhenhe had finished the creation and 

 saw Ins glorious work blooming in vernal glory and 

 splendor, pronounced it " all good." ]] q 



OBITUARY. 



Rn°'Tl'%^"."°ru'-^''V '^''"'"^ Va,ighan,Esq.,aged 

 80. The State of Maine has never lost a more worthy 

 citizen. Agriculture has seldom had a more enho-htened 

 and devoted friend.. Mr Vaughan, in compan=y lit 

 other members of his family, who had been the punils 

 I ofthe distinguished Dr Priestley, came to this country 

 more than forty years since ; and Charles Vau-han. in 

 company with his eminent brother, Benj. Vau"lian L 

 L- D. and M. P., settled at Ilallowell, Me. 'fhere' bv 

 their superior education and intelligence, simplicity of 

 manners, unimpeachable integrity, soundness of iud"- 

 ment, disinterestedness, active usefulness and publfc 

 spirit, they conciliated universal esteem and reverence 

 and rendered themselves most eminently the benefac' 

 tors 0) the community. TI.ey were both deeply inter-' ' 

 esled in the improvement of the agiicultureof the Stnte 

 and in the advancement of education and all useful 

 arts. The agricultunil communi'y are largely indebted 

 to them foi the introduction of valuable seeds ind plants 

 much imi.roved live stock, and the diff-usion of a"ricul! 

 j tural information. Mr Charles Vaughan has beeif a fre- 

 quent correspondent of the New England Farmer from 

 Its commencement ; and it is hut a few days before his 

 death that we received interesting letters from him mak- 

 ing inquiries, communicating intelligence, and proposins 

 plans of agricultural operation for himself and the pub- 

 lic benefit, it IS an enviable privilege to be thus permit- 

 ted to " live whi^le we live." The beneficent influences 

 of the labors and characters of such men, are widely dif- 

 fused ; and continue to extend themselves long "after 

 their departure. Their memories will be cherished by 

 the wise and virtuous with an intense and never-ceas- 

 ing affection and respect. jj q 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Satukdsv, May 25, 1639. 

 This was the day assigned to award the Society's pri- 

 zes for the best specimens of Geraniums and Tulips- _ 

 Messrs. Sweetaer and Donald were appointed judges 

 on geraniums, and Messrs. Donald and Meller on tu- 

 lips ; who reported as follows: • 



"Geraniums: first prize to Mr Meller ; second prize 

 to Messrs Hovey. 



Signed, S. SVVEETSER, 



JOHN DONALD." 

 " Tulips : first prize (there was no competition) to Mr 

 S. Walker; the second prize to Mr S. Walker, he hav- 

 ing the next best twelve varieties. 



Signed, JOHN DONALD, 



WM. JIELLER." 



