THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
3 
Sir, I congratulate you that our flowers are 
not 
“ born to blush unseen 
And waste their sweetness on the desert air ” 
The botany we cultivate, the production ol the 
business ot horticulture, the plants ot Uie gar- 
den are cultivated with us, by hands as dehcate 
as their ov.'n tendrils, viewed by countenances 
as spotless and pure as their own petals, and 
watched by eyes as brilliant and luli ol lustre 
as their own beautiful exhibitions of splendor. 
(Applause.) . 
Horticulture is one pursuit of natural science 
in which all sexes, ages and degrees of educa- 
tion and refinement unite. Nothing is too po- 
lished to seethe beautr of flowers, nothing too 
rough to be capable of enjoying them. It at 
tracts, gratifies and delights all. it seems to be 
a common field where every degree ot taste and 
refinement may unite and find opportunities lor 
their gratification, 
Mr. President, I will take the occasion to ac- 
cord to the sentiment of the honorable Secreta- 
ry ol the Coinmon wealth, and congratulate 
you on the return of our worthy friend who has 
just spoken. He finds here no enemy, and in 
the exhibition ot the talent which he possesses, 
of his classical learning and his popular orato- 
ry, he finds only one rival, but a very daneer- 
ous rival; il he maintains the cjrapeiitson with 
that rival he has nothing to tear, and that rival 
is his own reputation. 
Mr. President, we who belong to the class of 
farmer.s, are compelled to biing nothing but our 
ap[)lause to those whose taste, condition and po- 
sition, enable them to contribute these horticul- 
tural excellencies which we see aiound us. 
But the honor belongs to the State, and 1 shall 
not trespass beyond the bounds ol reason and 
justice, if 1 say that there could nowhere—wo- 
where — be a more perfect and tasteful exhibition 
ol horticultural products that we have v/iiness- 
ed in this town the present week, t^ei this good 
work speed. May this iiselul and good work 
goon prospering and to prosper. And as we 
live in a country which produces a race of 
hard working men, and the most useful fruits ol 
the earth, so let us show every year that it is 
not less productive of beautilul flowers— as it 
certainly is not of gracelul hands to wreathe 
and entwine them. (Applause.) 
After a song and several toasts, the following 
was announced : 
Harvard Univers ty — The flower-bed of ihe State — 
the garden that produces plants whose bloom is peren- 
nial. 
The Hon. Josiah Gluincy replied as follows ; 
Having been told by the chairman that this 
beirg a sentiment in honor of Harvard XJniver- 
sity, it was expected that he should respond to 
it. he should do it most willingly; although he 
was no longer officially c nnecied with tnat in- 
stimtion, and now claimed only the enviable 
distinction which he had enjoyed fur two days, 
of being a citizen of Boston. He had come, 
however, to that meeting with no purpose of 
speaking, but with the sole intention to enjoy. 
He had attended the exhihitiun, and while there 
had exhausted every superlative of honor in the 
English language, in expressing his graiifica- 
fion and delight. In the Horticultural Had he 
hdd witnessed the wonders wrought by the Flo- 
rist’s hand; he had there seen what man could 
do by labor and taste to enlarge, beautify and 
multiply the bounties ol nature; he had seen 
how art and wisely employed capital were per- 
mitted by Heaven to improve its own gifts ; 
and had felt how impossible it was by language 
to express the beauty of fruits and flowers, 
■which nature and arthad combined to improve. 
Nor could he refrain from reflecting that all, ail 
was the work ot vreU directed industry. Under 
the influence of which thought, he asked leave 
1.0 propose as a sentiment — 
77tc Blessings nj well directed Industry — “ The sonre® 
of every geiiUe arl and all the soft civilities of life."' 
A song followed, then’ several toasts, and a 
short speech by the Rev. Mr.Codman, when the 
Chair called upon the cle.gymen present to re- 
spond to a previous toast, and the Rev. Mr. 
Choules follow-ed : 
He observed that his profession was accus- 
tomed to calls— this was one he would decline, 
but as he w'as not demanded to speak on proba- 
tion, he would at the “call” of the chair, offer a 
lew remarks simply to slate an historical fact. 
Mr. Shepherd, the accomplished conservator 
of the Botanical Gardens at Liverpool, is ihe 
auihoriiy lor the following anecdote, respecting 
the introduction ol Ihe elegant flowery shrub, 
the Fiischia, into the green bouses of Europe. 
Old Mr. Lee, a well known Nurseryman and 
Florist, at Greenwich, near London, about fifty 
years ago, w’as one day showing his variegated 
treasures to a person, who suddenly turned and 
said, “ W ell, you havenot in your whole collec- 
tion, Si) pretty a flower as one I saw to-day in a j 
window at Wapping!” “Indeed, and what 
was this PhcEnix likeT’ “ Why, the plant was 
beautilul, and the flowers hung down like tas- 
sels from the drooping branches, their color, was 
the deepest crimson, and in the centre, a fold of 
rich purple.” 
Particular inquiries were made as to the ex- 
act whereabouts, and Mr. Lee posted nft'to the 
place, where he discovered the object of t.is I'mr- 
siiit, and immediately pronounced it a new plant. 
He saw and admired. 
Entering the humble dwelling, he said, “ my 
good woman, this is a nice plant of yours, I 
should like to buy it.” 
“ Ah, sir ! I couldn’t sell it for no money, it 
was brought me from foreign parts by my hus- 
band, who has gone again, and I must keep it 
lor his sake.” I 
■“ But I must have it.” 
“ No, sir, I can’t sf are it.” 
“ Here,” emptying his pockets, “here is gold, 
silver and copper,” (his stock amounting to 
more than eight guineas.) 
“ Well a day, sure this is a power of money.” 
“ ’Tis yours, and the plant is mine, rny good 
woman. I’ll give you one of the first young 
ones I rear to keep for your husband’s sake. 1 j 
will indeed.” i 
The bar.^ain was struck, a coach called, in 
which old Mr. Lee and his appaiently dearly j 
purchased flower deposited. On returning 
home, his first work was to strip nff and destroy 
every blossom and bud ; the plant was divided 
into small cuttings which were forced into bark 
beds and hot beds, and again subdivided. Every 
effort was employrd to multiply the plant. Mr. 
Lee became the delighted possessor ofSOOlus- 
chias, all giving promise of fine blossom. The 
two which first expanded were placed in his 
Vindow. A lady came in, “ why, Mr. Lee, my 
dear Mr. Lee, where did you get this charming 
flower 7” 
“’Tis a new thing, my lady— pretty, is it 
not?” 
“Prettv! ’tis lovely! its price?” 
“A guinea, your ladyship” — and one of the 
two plants that evening stood in beauty on her 
lady.ship’s table in he' boudoir. 
“ M.y dear Charlotte ! where did you get that 
elegant flower ?” 
“Oh, ’tis a new thing, I saw it at old Mr. 
Lee’s; pretty is it not?” 
“Pr-nty ! ’tis beautiful, what did it cost?” 
“Only a guinea, and there was another left.” 
The visitor’s horses trotted off to the suburb, 
and a third beauteous plant graced the spot 
from whence the first had been taken. The se- 
cond guinea was paid, and the fusebia adorned 
another drawing room of fashion. Thisscene 
was repeated as new cal s were made by persons 
attracted by the beauty of the plant. Two plants 
graceful and bursting into flower, were constant- 
ly seen on the same spot. He gladdened the 
faithful sailor’s wife with the promised flower, 
and before the season closed, nearly three hun- 
dred guineas jingled in his purse, the produce 
of the single shrub from the window at Wap- 
ping, as a reward ol old Mr. Lee's taste, skill 
and decision! 
I am happy to be present on this joyous oc- 
casion. I wish many ot my brethren were 
here — the place is full of instruction, and is a 
field lor usefulness. Some ot my most plea- 
surable reminiscences are connected with agri- 
cultural and horticultural employments. They 
are in unison with God’s plans and human na- 
ture. At your last festive occasion, one of the 
ornaments of our community observed that “he 
felt delighted when he saw the laboring man 
walk through the streets of Boston carrying 
home a potted plant under his arm, because he 
felt convinced ot the love of nature and virtue 
that was exhibited.” Sir, the mechanic cannot 
come into competition with your rich men’s 
gardens and greenhouses. You have no reward 
to stimulate such humble skill as belongs to the 
cultivation of the window plant. I have the 
pleasure to say that I am authorized by a libe- 
ral friend to announce a medal at the disnosal 
of this society, tor the best single potted plant 
produced by the mechanic, female or child at 
your ne.xt exhibition. 
The Bon. Robert C. Winthrop replied to a 
toast as follows: 
1 am greatly honored, Mr. President, by the 
sentiment which you have just offered, and 1 
beg the ladies and gentlemen before me to ac- 
cept my most grateful ackno xtledgments for the 
kindness and cordiality with which they have 
responded to it. 1 heartily wish that the com- 
pliment were belter deserved. I wish that even 
in reference to matters of Horticulture, I had 
done more to keep uo the credit of that old Ge- 
nealogical Tree. One of your Anniversary 
Orators told us some years ago, iff remember 
rightly, that among the earliest records in re- 
gard to the production of fruit in this ueighbor- 
houd, was the account ol “a good store of pip- 
pins” which was forthcoming upon some occa- 
sion from Gov. Winthrop’s garden. It would 
be thought no great things to raise a good store 
of pippins now-a-days, I suppose. But two 
hundred years ago it must have been something 
of an achievement. Our fathers had not many 
apples to regale themselves with. The fruits 
to which they were obliged to turn their atten- 
tion, were of a more substantial and practical 
character. Theie is an old song still extant, 
called “ Forelalher’s Song,” supposed to have 
been written in 1630 or thereabouts, which 
gives us an amusing insight into the flori icu! 
lural labors of those early days, an<l shows us 
w hat products ol the soil were mainly relied 
upon both for refreshment an 1 nourishmeut. 
One of the verses is in this wise: 
“Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies 
Our pnnipkins and parsnips are common suppl'is. 
\Ve have pumpkins ai rnoi ning, an ! pumpkins at neon, 
If it was not for pumpkins we sho ii d be undone.” 
Nor did the praises ol the pumpkins e ul here. 
Our lathers seemed to have lound it an ingre- 
dient ot one of their choicest drinks, as well as 
the material of so much o: their mo e solid 
food. They had no grap?- trom wnich“io 
clush the sweet poison ol mi.-used wine;” and 
yet, with all their other virtues, they do not ap- 
pear to have learned how to carry through a 
least, as we aie now doing, upon cold water. 
Another verse of the old song says : 
“ If barley be wanting lo make into malt, 
We must be contented and think it no fault ; 
For we can make tiejuor to sweeten our lips, 
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut tree chips” 
That must have been a lip-sweetener indeed, 
Mr. President! We have all heard of bran 
bread; and even saio dust has not been without 
its commendations in some quarters as a valu- 
able esculent; but neither the Genius of Tem- 
perance nor of Dyspepsia has ever in our time, 
conceived the idea of extracting an agreeable 
beverage Irom pumpkins and parsnips and wal- 
nut tree chips 1 
All this, Mr. W. said, -went to prove that it 
was something of a Horticultural exploit on 
the part of his ancestor, lo raise a good store of 
pippins. It was one atany rate, with which some 
of the younger branches of the Genealogical 
Tree had nothing to compare. He could 
point to no apples of his own raising. He 
could not even exhibit that variety of apples-- 
