LIBRARY

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DATE DTJE

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
LIBRARY

SB
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W9
1893-94

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

WORCESTER COUNTY

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,

A. D. 1898-94.

PART I.

W ox't($itXf |H a Si Si .

CHARLES Hx\ MILTON, PRINTER,
3 11 MAIN STREET.

18!)4.

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CONTENTS.

Page.

Report of the Secretary, A. D. 1893 5

List of Grapes matured at Agricultural College, 1893 25

Report of the Librarian 27

Report of the Treasurer 30

WORCESTER COUNTY

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,

A. D. 1893.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.

To the Members of the

Worcester County Horticultural Society :

This Society did not put in an appearance at the Columbian
Exposition in Chicago, as, at your last Annual Meeting, you con-
cluded that you possibly might ; and, because of such default, no
additional trophies will be suspended from these walls. It was
determined by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, early in
the year, that it would not be in the interest of that organization
to make an exhibit. Had we gone to Chicago, our Fruits or
Flowers must have been displayed within the space accorded to
the State Society. As a prospective guest, it did not become us
to inquire too minutely into the reasons that decided the final
action of our hosts. It has been intimated that there may have
been a difierence of opinion upon the matter of expenditure ;
that there were who cherished a conviction that the Common-
wealth should defray the cost of mailing a Horticultural Exhibit;
insomuch as every specimen would be contributed by individuals,
at much personal trouble and self-denial, without prospect or
hope of ulterior benefit. Massachusetts is reputed to have ex-
pended some $175,000, for one purpose or another, in connection
with the Columbian Exposition ; her most notable display being
an assortment selected from the Members of the General Court,
2

6 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

for which suitable recognition will doubtless be accorded. But
there was nothing to spare for the gardens and orchards, whose
produce was so conspicuous at Philadelphia, A. D. 1876, and
whose apples, at least, have achieved a proud pre-eminence
throughout the older States of the Republic. The crude pot-
hooks and tortuous scrawls of our school-children are gathered,
from far and near, to do service as space-fillers, and money is not
lacking to pay the bill. But when we would show the cull and
choice of our Holdens, or Hubbardstons; our Mothers, or Sutton
Beauties ; the Old Guard of local pomology that never met their
Waterloo ! we arc left to defray the cost of Exhibition, beside
suffering loss of the specimens, irreclaimable because of their
perishable nature. And it is ever thus, in a monotony that
becomes wearisome. There seems to be prevalent a congenital
incapacity to discern the actual source of the wealth of nations,
that might well suggest the need of more skilful treatment for
the bhnd as well as for the insane. The mills of men, as of the
Gods, may grind slowly, and as fine as you please ; — but what,
after all, is the grist ? Can you declare and maintain your inde-
pendence of the earth, with its teeming harvests ? The Com-
mittee on Ways and Means spend week upon week listening to
the comparatively few workers at loom or rolling-mill, who ask
that the countless millions may be forced to contribute to the
profit of their private business ! Does any one hearken to the
cry of the consumer, beseeching only that nature and art may be
allowed free course ; and that besides untimely frost or drought ;
blight, or fierce hurricane; his meagre returns from exacting toil
upon rugged acres shall not be taken from him by unfair dis-
crimination ? A tub was thrown to the whale, it is true, ballasted
by a25-cent impost on Provincial potatoes, which do not seriously
compete with our own product, and for which we do not wish to
pay unusual prices when we send to Nova Scotia for new and
healthy seed. Barley is also subject to duty, if grown in the
Dominion ; but what does that profit those who living in Nega-
tion, are not supposed to know the uses of malt ; or to value the
original package for the sake of a latent virtue that is outlawed
in the extract ! There are Schools of Physics and Metaphysics,
until the brain becomes tired in computation of the provision for

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 7

teaching that which wo, better not learn. The General Court
perplexes itself witli local snarls concerning shoals of unsavory
fish, floundering about in ho[)eless entanglement among the
raeshes woven for inferior sculpins. But tiie Experiment Station
so sadly lacking in such localities as this; the imperative wants
and possibilities of research and discovery in every branch of
Terraaculture throughout a County so large as Worcester, with
its diversity of climate, soil, and geographical contour; are
wholly overlooked, or dismissed with scornful indifterence. Wiiat
is the field ripe for the harvest ; or the orchard laden with
bounteous promise; to the Professors of Labor! forsooth, who
toil not, neither do they spin ; but from out whose mouths issue
yarn never ending in tissue yet constantly attenuating in thread;
the sinuous demagogues of glib tongue, whose religion is ofiice
in continuous tenure, and who live up to their faith ! It is not
that this Society, in particular; or Horticulturists elsewhere in
Massacliasetts ; are suppliants for public bounty: their conten-
tion is simply that they shall not be singled out, as the only class
of producers in this Commonwealth able, and therefore com-
pelled, to take care of tiiemselves. A Republic can only endure
strong and prosperous, when the equality of its citizens is recog-
nized, as well in practical administration, as in ofiicial lip-service
at Cattle-Shows and Horse-Trots !

For matter of fact, perhaps it is fortunate that this Society
was not formally represented at Chicago. It happens to be the
Odd Year, as known to Pomology, when for some reason not
universally acknowledged, yet mayhap not wholly inexplicable,
our most valuable Apples r6turu scarcely any liarvest. Our
tables may siiow sample-plates of Baldwin, Hubbardston, or
Mother, in Autumn : for the day will never dawn while life
endures, when tiie Orchards of Worcester County shall refuse to
yield measurabl}', if not immoderately, as too often wrongly
allowed in the even year. But when it is our purpose to chal-
lenge the Pomologists of the Republic for pre-eminence in
especial classes, we cannot but wish, or insist, that our eSbrts
shall not be handicapped by unnatural conditions. Chief among
which may be counted, because of recent experience, unbroken
drought at the formation of the embryo, prolonged throughout

8 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

the period when the young fruit was assuming form and sub-
stance; that and other adverse influences culminating in a tropi-
cal hurricane which stripped where it did not uproot the tree ;
and sapping faith in the assurance of seed-time and harvest,
while ruthlessly annulling the labor of an entire season.

Since the above was written, I have received a copy of the
"Paper," full as an egg of meat, which our honored President
read before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, on Febru-
ary 4th, ulto. Dilating upon " The Economics of Horticulture ";
its theories in speculative science and their beneficent application
in practice; contrasting, in terse narration, what has been done,
and is now doing, with a vision in perspective of what might be
achieved under propitious circumstances ; President Parker spake
thus pat and to the precise point of my contention :

"And what forbids the Commonwealth, which from time im-
memorial has taken Agriculture under its protection, which has
drawn annually so many thousands of dollars from its treasury
for the destruction of insect pests, for sanitary purposes, for
experimentation in sewage disposal, for a thousand things from
which no return could ever be expected — what forbids the Com-
monwealth from lending to these Societies its fostering care,
when it can so easily be demonstrated that every dollar thus
spent will prove a paying investment ? "

The display of Out-Door Grapes by the Agricultural College
of Massachusetts, on the 5th October, ulto, for which we were,
and shall continue, so much indebted to the zealous interest of
our veteran Judge of Fruits,^ sharply marked a stage in the
achievements of our local viticulture. Within the memory of the
writer, a few clusters of Isabella in a propitious season ; a few
bunches of Northern Muscadine, no matter wliat the season ;
were all that enabled indulgent parents to set the children's teeth
on edge. The introduction of the Concord, for which Horticul-
ture owes such an unpaid and, as it were churlishly acknowledged,
debt to Mr. Bull, defined the first real step towards actual im-
provement of the Grape in quality and hardiness. Since then
viticulture has progressed a pas de g^ant : the main difiiculty
being to impose a check upon that good nature which is too ready

1 James Draper, Esq. See AiDpeucUx for list of the uiuetj'-two varieties, e. w. l.

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 9

to indorse a new frnit, upon the solicitation of the oily tongue
enlisted in its behalf. I know not how many of you concur in
my individual appreciation of what are familiarly known as the
Rogers Numbers. Clierishing a strong partiality for them, and
therefore having devoted some time and care to their culture, it
was a pleasure to avail myself of the courtesy of Mr. Draper,
whereby I was enabled to test, at leisure, a baker's dozen of those
superior hybrids. One or two, Goethe notably, were scarcely
ripe enough for a decided opinion. The size of the berries was
noteworthy; especially so in the cases of Herbert, ?i.x\(\. Massasoit.
The black approved themselves ripest ; altliough it seemed as if a
somewhat longer exposure to an autumnal sun would have mel-
lowed the pulp in almost every case, perhaps eliminating a slight
foxiness traceable to the inferior parent. There are many, like
your Secretary, who rather prefer a grape that requires some
chewing. For that the Rogers Nos. can be depended upon.
Yet, when thoroughly mature, they will linger upon the tongue
only long enough for safe exclusion of the seeds. And it would
be hard to recall a season in which there has not been complete
maturity of Lhidley, Massasoit, Merrimac, and also in the per-
sonal experience of the writer, — Barry. It should be noted in
line with the argument of your Secretary, that a majority of the
clusters bore manifest traces of an application of the Bordeaux
mixture ; showing that science and practice accord, with happy
agreement, in the only County of Massachusetts that boasts,
thanks to the Federal Government ! and not to any concern of
the Commonwealth, an Experiment Station instinct with pro-
gressive, vital utility. When sound judgment has resumed its
sway throughout the State, so that vast sums will be no longer
wasted in a futile struggle against insect fecundity, in regions
that are essentially manufacturing, it may be that tiie Terrsecul-
tural Counties can obtain a hearing, and thereafter secure what
will be of some direct, actual benefit.

The authority that is, and that which would be, on either side
of the Atlantic, attuning a profound note in G., — Gladstone or
Greenhalge, — are tireless in their exhortations to the yeomanry
of Mid-Lothian, or Middlesex, to diversify their methods of Ter-
rseculture, substituting Fruits for Corn, — Celery for Pork !

10 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

Their taste is beyond criticism, if the palate may decide the
award. But thereafter comes the man who must "eat his bread
in the sweat of his face," challenging these aspirants, who would
fain be guide, philosopher, and friend, of tlie multitude with votes,
to pledge themselves that the gardener or orchardist shall surely
gather where he has strewn ! To guaranty the laborer in fur-
row or vineyard, immunity from the depredations of those
chevaliers who have received their accolade in that ultimate grade
of modern chivalry, whereof the insignia is two tired hands sur-
mounted by a jawbone in ceaseless motion ! Will their influence
be exerted to safeguard those whose work is not, and cannot be,
regulated by the clock, — a mere measure of time, — but rather by
the multiform exigencies of varying seasons ? Will they abolish
all that so-called protection which aims to put the cripple or
shiftless upon a plane with the diligent and vigorous ; that hybrid
paternalism which ignores lavvs old as crcMtion, — the alternations
of heat and cold, the countless vicissitudes of drought or flood ;
enacting that industry and laziness shall be meted with like
measure ; that the Statute-book and not the laws of Nature shall
determine the hours of labor; and that the sluggard, to whom
adze or broad-axe are as one, shall hew to the line with either
indifferently, nothing but chips resulting. " Property is Rob-
bery ! " shrieked Prudhon. Proprius in Latin, — that which is
our own ; peculiar to oneself! I take a tract of waste land, sub-
due it, plant it, and naturally expect to reap where I have sown.
But the serfs from effete despotisms, imported to toil in our mills
that thereby " Home Industry " may be protected ! construe
what little law they know to suit their appetites, prowling around
with tire-arms and taking, with reckless violence, whatsoever they
And to hand. The civil authority taxes the owner and grower
upon his realty and its produce. Is there no reciprocal obliga-
tion ? Does not the levy and collection of a tax imply a corre-
sponding duty ? Why do I pay a tax, at all ? Not simply
because it has been levied, and I cannot help myself; since then
it is resolved into a wanton exaction : but on account of the
security to my property and life which the whole community
bind themselves theoretically, howsoever they may fall short in
fact, to afford me in return for the assessment. What satisfac-

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 11

tion is mine, as I deplore tlie theft of my Grapes, to be assured
that some other tax-payer has been stripped of a case of beer !
Or how much better off am I, that the fiery wines of the Orient,
from Cana of Galilee, are subjected to almost prohibitor}' im-
posts, when lawlessness is suffered to ravage my premises, robbing
me of unfcrmented juice and fruit with equal impunity, in the
original package ! Theft is forbidden by the Decalogue and,
from the foundation of the world, was ever branded malum in se.
Beer and wine have been, at times, malum prohibitum, ; at other
times commodities whereof the market was as free as that for
milk. Yet the whole power of a municipality is directed to
suppress a use because of a possible abuse ! while the garden
and orchard are left unprotected that the vigilant guardians of
civic peace may preen themselves on dress parade. Is there a
granger within range of my voice, no matter how zealous he may
be that the entire physical force of the State shall be wielded to
deprive his neighbor of some favorite beverage, who does not
dread to leave his home on Sunday lest, on his return from
" meeting," he may find that his family have been subjected to
insult, if not outrage, — his farmstead to lawless depredation and
waste ! Stop trying to weave a silk purse from a sow's ear !
groans the taxpayer from beneath his onerous burdens, and
make proper use of actual forces ! A true police should consist
largely of skirmishers; falling back upon the military as the
embodiment of the physical power of the Commonwealth. It
wastes time and perverts energy trying to emulate a Macedonian
Phalanx. On horseback, or availing itself of the electric cars,
it may not be actually omnipresent; but it can be on the spot
in case of emergency, in season to head local resistance to out-
lawry and to signal for ro-inforcement. The shops along Main
and Front Streets are tilled with able-bodied men who should be
adequate to preserve the peace of the vicinage. The outlying
suburbs and detached farmsteads may well insist that they shall
have some other experience of municipal governinent than its
exactiojis !

Our local Exhibitions have been held with their usual measure
of success, so far as success may be computed from exhibits. In

12 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

a majority of the lesser fruits, we appear to have actually receded :
Strawberries and Raspberries, especially, scarcely coming np,
either in variety or quality, to the high standard maintained in
former years. Somewhat of this depreciation is justly charge-
able to the season, — the prevalent drought in particular; owing
to which your Secretary^ for the first time in a long experience,
was unable to gather even the smallest measure of Hornet or
Brinckl^s Orange. High winds have caused much damage to
the larger fruits, stripping them prematurely from the trees and
seriously marring them in their fall. But after all, is it not a
grave question ; — what do our Exhibitions teacli ? Premiums go
to fill the pockets of those who get them. Yet what does the
Society receive in return ? What do we know, after the award,
more than before, of the conditions under which the approved
specimens were grown ? Take for example, that remarkable dis-
play of Earle's Bergaraot, on Sept. 14:th, ulto. What, if any,
were the peculiarities of soil, or culture, that conduced to their
signal superiority? Its parentage renders the question one of
importance, if we would perpetuate that noble variety, once so
nearly lost, and now but sparsely propagated upon less than a
dozen trees, on as many house-lots in the very heart of the city,
liable to be built over at any time to the destruction of the trees
and the extinction of the variety. And what of that lot of huge
Superfin^ shown by Mr. Moses Church, on tlie 28th of Septem-
ber, whereof the twelve specimens weighed but a fraction less
than as many pounds ! ^ Why did not his trees die from the
Blight, by which they were so sorely afflicted ? Did Linseed Oil
save them after all, and is it therefore an approved remedy for
that mysterious disease, which comes without warning and dis-
appears as suddenly, leaving desolation in its insidious path !

A. D. 1847,— OuQ Hundred and Seventy-Two (172j plates of
Peaches were displayed upon our tables, at the Annual Autum-
nal Exhibition. Two years later the number of plates was Two
Hundred and Fifty-Six (256); John Milton Earle contributing
Seventeen (17) varieties, among which were Early Crawford, Late
Crawford, Cooledge,Red Rareripe, Yellow Rareripe, George IVth,

1 The exact weight was 9 Ibi. 10| ounces. Their size was uone the less remarkable
that the award was made after a scale of points, e. w. l.

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 13

White Imperial, Beers's Late Rareripe, Bonaparte, Late Admira-
ble, Morris Red Rareripe, Yellow Albergc, Blood, Morris White,
Rareripe Seedling, Bulhird's Seedling, Yellow Melocoton. Of
tliat Exhibition, as a whole, that careful and conscientious Judge,
the late Dr. William Workman, to whose diligent service upon
its Committees the Society was so much indebted in its infancy,
declared with unwonted emphasis:

" We have had no show of Peaches in any previous year that
would at all compare with the magnificent display of that luscious
fruit collected on our tables this year."

Ten years later, the elder Salisbury, in his Report upon our
Grapes, Peaches, &c., &c., utters the subjoined wailing note :

" It is the melancholy duty of the Committee to ask the par-
ticular attention of the Society to the specimens presented of the
most delicious of all fruits, the Peach ; and first, thanks must be
offered to the contributors who, under the discouragement of an
unpropitious season, with extraordinary public spirit, have ofiered
the Peaches on your tables which, as in the case of some other
farmers' families, are more excellent in their pedigree than in
themselves. . . . The disease called the Yellows has con-
tinued its destructive course, and it is still a mystery to the most
skilful observers of vegetable life."

A. D. 1866, Judge Francis H. Dewey, from the same Com-
mittee, reported :

" The Committee deeply regret that their labors were greatly
diminished, owing to the reduced number of entries. The severe
weather of last winter had been especially injurious to the fruits
coming within their jurisdiction. Of Peaches, not a single speci-
men was presented," &c., &c.

Our latest winter was as severe as that to which Judge Dewey
referred, but yet on the 21st of last September, the display of
Peaches in our Hall was of singular excellence and variety. It
must be confessed, however, that the Yellows betrayed its pres-
ence in the mottled skin of many specimens, otherwise promis-
ing ; although by their side were other lots immaculate in appear-
ance and of manifestly untainted texture. Are we careful to
plant pits that are free from disease ? Of course, there cannot
be absolute certainty ; but then it rests with ourselves alone

14 WORCESTER COUNTT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

whether to reject or use the stones of fruit that is surely tainted.
Wrote Andrew I. Downing, a half-centurj since, in the very
first edition of his invaluable work on " The Fruit and Fruit-
Trees of America " :

" In this total absence of proper care in tlie selection both of
the seed and the trees, followed by equal negligence of good
cultivation, is it surprising that the peach has become a tree com-
paratively difficult to preserve, and proverbially short lived ! . . .

" The utmost care should be taken to select seeds for planting
from perfectly healthy trees."

Are we wiser than our fathers, or merely too careless or lazy to
profit by their experience ? In the most recent competition for
our premium proposed for — "A new Seedling Peach originated
in Worcester County"; it was discouraging to note the number
of specimens ofi'ered, in which pervading taint was manifest to
the most casual inspection. Are peach-stones obtained with such
difficulty that we must needs make use of those from infected
fruit ? Our Hall should not be turned into a quarantine station,
and corrupted or diseased fruit should find no welcome in it,
being outlawed always and everywhere.

Mr. Downing adds :

"All specific applications to the root, of such substances as
salt, ley, brine, saltpetre, urine, &c., recommended for this dis-
ease, are founded on their good eff'ects when applied against the
borer. They have not been found of any value for the Yellows."

Fifty years have rolled by, and it is but a short while since we
had a note of encouragement from Amherst, conveying glad tid-
ings of great joy, fraught with assurance that the Yellows had
been finally conquered by a direct application of specific reme-
dies. That note is attuned more softly, of late, and at no time
became loud enough to disturb the music of the spheres. But
now comes our honored Associate, venerable among Pomologists
everywhere, of whom he stands towards the ripe close of a stain-
less life facile princeps^ John J. Thomas, challenging attention
to the experiments of Dr. J. F. Smith, of the Department at
Washington, by which it is made to appear conclusively that
" applications of potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen in various
forms, bone-black, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, ashes,

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 15

«fec., &c., have no appreciable effect towards the cure or preven-
tion of the Yellows in the Peach." The opinion of Mr. Thomas
is, that " we must look to some other remedy than applyinr; com-
pounds to the tree. So far, the only efficient cure is the removal
of the affected trees by the roots."

Shall we therefore abandon the problem as insoluble? Home-
grown peaches in plenty would be as agreeable to the palate as
helpful to the pocket. Memory yet recalls the exquisite flavor
of the Cooledge, when first introduced; of the Red, and White,
Kareripes, with the Royal George; either or all plucked at com-
plete maturity, with flesh warmed by the rays of an autumnal
sun. Is the task of re-invigoration too arduous, so that we would
fain leave it for others to achieve ? The Commonwealth main-
tains Normal Schools to show how to teach ! Might it not be
fully as useful were there Schools that would instruct in what
manner, in what measure, and under what assured conditions, the
noblest of all fruits of a temperate zone, can be produced in pris-
tine health and vigor ! Does our Society attain its loftiest aim
when it sets its members in a row, and bowls them over, indis-
criminately, with fifty-cent gratuities ?

Lacking somewhere nigh a quarter of the century, the Worces-
ter Agricultural Society was founded, in this County, by men
foremost in their respective avocations. Throughout a full o-en-
eration it went on its way, strengthening in purpose and gaining
ever more popular favor and support. It stimulated betterment,
provoked rivalry, and achieved eminence far beyond the especial
confines of its peculiar province. Had it done nothing else save
impress the vigor and excellence of the Short-Horn and Ayrshire
breeds of cattle upon our native herds, no one could with truth
dispute that the benefits resulting from the existence of the
Society more than repaid the cost and trouble of its origin and
maintenance. The Jersey had not yet left the Channel Islands,
to be-fuddle the average Yankee with its superfluous cream and
deficient milk ! But cream cannot be made to serve for a bev-
erage, so perhaps our fathers were well enough off' with the old-
fashioned udder that stripped at the pail-full. Yet the aim and
efforts of the Society were not restricted to the improvement of

16 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

live stock. Much was accomplished for the development of
Pomology, although the term itself was scarcely known ; and in
a day when the stage-coach supplied the swiftest means of inter-
course, knowledge and dissemination of newer and choicer varie-
ties of Apple, Pear, Peach, and Plum, increased with a rapidity
that appears now almost incredible. They enjoyed the Baldwin
and Rhode Island Greening, — so were sure of their pies ; the
Bartlett and Seckel answering for dessert. In the variety and
high quality of home-grown Peaches, their children have never
equalled them. Not content, however, so long as there were
better things in prospect ; and thoroughly convinced, from indi-
vidual experience that the cultivation of Garden and Orchard
exacted and would justify exclusive attention ; tlie more saga-
cious of these men founded this Worcester County Horticultu-
ral Society, designed and declared to be for " advancement of
the Science and encouragement and improvement of the Practice
of Horticulture." Pursuing that aim, and adhering closely to
that uniform line of policy, Horticulture has advanced with giant
strides in this its congenial home. Town and city alike have felt
the power of our organization, the eye and palate being equally
gratified by its beneficent influence. We have followed our own
beaten paths, interfering with none, antagonizing none ; possibly
provoking attempts at feeble rivalry, but never of set purpose
challenging it.

Yet, of late, we have been cajoled to abate somewhat of our
energy, and, out of superfluous good nature, surrender a portion
of our chosen field to the spasmodic guidance of the Agricultural
Society. Is it not time for us to pause and reflect if we are war-
ranted in so doing ! If we fully carry out the objects for which
we were incorporated when we abnegate the exercise of our
functions in favor of others who profess readiness and ability to
conduct them, one week in the year ! Whether, in short, we
are prepared to admit the existence of another Society, in this
County, which is capable of doing our especial work so much
better than ourselves that we are ready and willing to quit the
field, even but for a brief period ? There can be no escape from
this conclusion : either others do our duty more satisfactorily,
which we freely acknowledge by our inaction ; or we stand one

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 17

side and allow inferior experience and knowledge to usurp that
direction and proficiency which has been our peculiar boast for a
Half-Century. Wrote George Jaqnes, A. D. 1847:

"Few similar Associations have accomph'shed so much, in so
brief a space of time, for the purposes to which they have been
devoted, as has already been achieved by the Horticultural
Society of Worcester County, in these the first years of its
infancy."

" If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in
the dry ? "

And now, after the lapse of so many years, as we look around
Upon the multiplication of Garden, Orchard, and Park, that
shine as jewels in our local landscape, is it not permitted ns to
inquire if this Society, to which so much credit belongs for the
general adornment, can justify itself for stepping voluntarily to
the rear! Grant that the Agricultural Society is involved in
onerous indebtedness ! Are wo the horse-fanciers whose broken
promises led to incurring that hopeless burden ? We have obli-
gations of our own, incurred for legitimate improvement of our
property : shall wo therefore start a race-track and manage a
circus? Is there any option for us, if we would maintain this
Society in full health and vigor, save to keep it persistently in
the ways that have so far guided us safely ; — the ways of thrift,
active development, and open beneficence ?

For it must be noted that, whereas our own Exhibitions are
free to all who choose; the results of our experiments and tlieo-
ries being published to the entire community, without price, at
the exact date of floriage or fruition ; the alien entertainment
which we are solicited to provide, in part, is burdened by oppres-
sive charges. Our Members must purchase admission, with others.
From our own Hall we go forth to the highways, inducing the
wayfarer to come in and see what the earth hath been made to
yield under assiduous culture. Elsewhere, — they close i7i the
highways, put restrictions upon egress, and exact weighty fees for
eacii successive entrance. Wherein, in all this, do you " advance
the Science and encourage or improve the Practice of Horticul-
ture ? " Stimulated to the utmost during the half-century of
your corporate existence. Horticulturists throughout the County

18 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

have striven for perfection, knowing that nothing else, under
yonr rigid inspection, can attain the prizes of your high calling.
They have searched keenlv for the slightest blemish, well aware
that the sharp eyes of yonr judges are trained to detect and
expose the least defect. Yet now you would neutralize the good
that has been achieved with so ranch toil and self-denial ; relin-
quishing your official oversight and accepting indigesta moles in
lieu of selected specimens; — the crude mass as a substitute for
the consummate unit! The very aim is avowedly mercenary,
defeating itself by the sheer multiplicity of objects ; they, in
turn, being lost to observation in the throng of sightseers whose
multitude, if condensed to the extreme of immobility, best suits
the acknowledged greed of tiie occasion. Turnstiles click to the
tune of — The more The merrier ! and, when movement is clogged
to the inertia of utter stoppage, even casual inspection becoming
impossible, it is then that you appreciate clearly the exact scope
and worth of your latter day Agricultural jamboree ! A languid
concern may be shown in the yield of designated animals ; possi-
bly the Dorset-Horns provoke a faint curiosity; but wlien it
comes to a computation of gate receipts, there is a commotion
that would better herald the passage of the contribution box
through a penurious and somnolent congregation.

And all for what? That we may add to the crude mass of
horticultural 'produce heaped up before a crowded throng of care-
less observers, to whom the nicer points of pre-eminence, as de-
fined by long years of critical judgment in our own Hall, are a
stumbling-block and foolishness. The antics of Performing
Dogs, or the capers and contortions of the Ginsling Brothers, —
wherein, be it yelp or grimace, — has Horticulture part or lot!
In the quaint phrase of the Prophet Abraham, "for those who
like that sort of thing, such are probably just the things they
like." Preserving our integrity, we can maintain our rank as
one of the very foremost Societies devoted to our especial Science,
and Practice, in this broad Republic. Relaxing that strict con-
secration, our energies are weakened by neglect or diffusion, the
enforced halt becoming a vital, if temporary, paralysis. The
taste and knowledge so hardly acquired, and so keenly polished,
become impaired, or dulled, when constrained to the analysis of a

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 19

floral and pomological hotch-potch worse thati the original chaos.
Loyalty to our own Society may not preclude a mild dissipation,
or indulgence, in those weak invasions of Horticulture which, at
times, so absurdly challenge our supremacy. But no true pom-
ologist will gather, in September, Baldwin, R. 1. Greening,
Palmer, or Sutton Beauty ; no more than at the same premature
date, Bosc, Coniice, Seckel, Anjou, or Lawrence. To the just
judge, unripe Grapes are as sour as, for a different reason, they
approved themselves to the fox in fable. Our Members can con-
tinue to spoil the Egyptians, if such loot is to their taste ; and the
children of Pharaoh will neither know nor care. But not avow-
edly as members; nor with the open or yet tacit license of the
Society. Our co-operation cannot be halfway, no more than we
could touch pitch and escape defilement. It is of slight account
what individual citizens of Worcester may do in connection with
the annual attempt to compress yet a little more into inadequate
space. But it is of vital consequence to American Horticulture,
when the Members of a Society, acknowledging few equals and
no superiors, in its specialty, throughout this wide Continent,
shall continue deliberately, for the sake of a few dimes or dollars,
to ignore the laws of Nature ; to repudiate the lessons taught by
their fathers and enforced by their personal experience ; to con-
fuse the Seasons, perverting their Harvest-Home into the mist
and murk of the Autumnal Equinox 1

So much at least we owe to our profession of Horticulture,
that we tolerate no abatement of the honor due to its Science and
Practice; that we safeguard the reputation of our fathers, and
the trust which they committed to our han^is, by declining to
continue partakers in the iniquity that, ignorantly, or of delib-
erate purpose, would derogate from its integrity; and that we
no longer rest content in a stupid severance of the members of a
homogeneous body, choosing ratiier to abide by the definition of
the lexicon which declares Horticulture to be the "cultivation of
a garden or orchard"; and cleaving to the faith as revealed, that
God "placed man in a Garden called Eden," wherein He had
planted everything good to eat, and for his lack of self-denial,
expelled him therefrom under sentence to "eat the herb of the
field" and to follow Agriculture "in the sweat of his face"!

20 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

What God hath joined together, shall the New England Agri-
cultural Society put asunder!

" Why are these things thus ? " was the homely phrase in
which the foremost, because truest, American Humorist set forth
the puzzle that has taxed the wit of Humanity, aforetime.
What was the primal cause of anything, within our immediate
experience, that so far attracted attention as to provoke inquiry !
And therefore, dismissing the Cosmic Egg, and the consequent
evolution, the insoluble problem being now, as ever, whence came
the very Egg ! We apply ourselves to the question, —

^^ Si parva licet componere magnis,^^
why was this Worcester County Horticctltdral Society ever
constituted ? I do not refer to the formal organization, A. D.
184-1, when Worcester, with its stagnating Canal and nascent
Railways, might be regarded as having taken permanent pre-
cedence in the County, otherwise than as its shire Town. But
how did it chance, or by what wise prescience was it arranged, that
just as the time was ripe the men were on hand to avail them-
selves of it! May not something be attributed, fairly, to politi-
cal causes, speaking in the broad sense of the term ; to the
fact that the sessions of the General Court were held in that
season of the year when Nature was putting forth all her efforts
to adorn the landscape; and man, if not blind as a bat, could
scarcely be insensible to what was going on around him! A
remark made by the then Governor of the Commonwealth,^ a few
years after a Constitutional Amendment had fixed the commence-
ment of the legislative year in January instead of May, wherein
he expressed a fear that his support of that change was the
o-reatest error of his political life, impressed itself upon my mem-
ory, indelibly. If you travelled to Boston, the stage-coach sup-
plied the only possible means of public conveyance. The journey
consumed a major portion of the day, so much indeed that little
opportunity was afforded, between suns, for business or pleasure.
None who had plodded over the turnpike, in heat and dust, were
anxious to repeat the tiresome journey until the necessity became
imperative. They remained in Boston ; attended the Legislative

iThe late Gov. Levi Lincoln.

1893.] TRANSACTIONS. 21

session with scrupulous fidelity ; and, when disengaged, songht
instruction or relaxation at the Nurseries of Brighton, or Cam-
bridge ; and equally the liospitable estates of famous local Pom-
ologists whose prolific orchards were unstinted in their bounty to
worthy recipients.^ Varieties that had not matured when the
session closed were sent to acquaintances thus formed, who
naturally became appreciative and steady customers at those
Nurseries, as the fruits commended themselves thereafter. Hon-
est gratitude for political preferment took an inoffensive and
peculiar form of manifestation ; such being the case especially
with the Sheriff of Suffolk County^ and the Adjutant General of
the Commonwealth.^ Neither omitted an opportunity to trans-
mit to their tried friend in Worcester scions from approved
trees, and ample supplies of luscious fruit in season for those
Receptions at which, as they had personal experience, their offi-
cial superior was wont to entertain visitors from abroad to the
Annual Cattle Show. Like gracious courtesies were a habit of
Zebedee Cook, Jr., and Marshall P. Wilder. Worcester was
also connected by various ties with the ancient Town of Salem,
whose citizens were ever eminent for that curious proclivity to
the cultivation of the soil which invariably characterizes the
mariner when he ceases to plough the main. Pomological speci-
mens from the City by the Sea were familiar here, years before
the name of Manning became conspicuous upon generous annual
contributions to the Exhibitions of this, infant. Horticultural
Society. The opening of the Blackstone Canal to a navigation,
and inland commerce, which was prosecuted with dubious success
until aggressive Manufactures robbed all the water, made close
friends of former strangers, introducing the banker-merchants of
Providence to the yeomanry of Central Massachusetts, and rivet-
ing the ties of profitable intercourse with the bonds of social
courtesy. Since in those Arcadian days, Fruit was a staple arti-
cle of entertainment. Apples were placed before distinguished
guests for grateful refreshment, and none looked upon their

1 It may be pertinent to note, in this connection that, upon the roll of " Original
Founders" of " The Massachusetts Horticultural Societ.v," are conspicuous the names
of Oliver Fiske, Levi Lincoln, William Lincoln, and Daniel Waldo, all of Worcester.

E. \v. L.
'^Sheriff Sumner, and Adjutant General Dearborn, e. w. l.
3

22 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

garnishment of the table as anything out of tlie way. Oysters
were but little known in the era of stage-coaches, and Lobsters
not at all. Simplicity dominated the feast and hearty digestion
waited upon wholesome appetite. Milk, of course, was in plenty,
supplying material for creams and custards. But of the supper,
as now known ! so artificial, so monotonous, and shall I not say ?
so cloying! — there was neither trace nor premonition. How
welcome, then, came the new varieties of Pears ; the rare, toil-
somely grown clusters of delicate, exotic Grapes ! For upon
those occasions of social amenity, when the Providence Planta-
tions were not represented in person, by their foremost citizens,
generous hampers of Chasselas, Grizzly Frontignan, Black Ham-
burgh, and Muscat of Alexandria attested the interest, if not the
presence, of Brown and Ives. And there was " sound of revelry
by night" when, at the close of their Annual Harvest-Home, of
a bright October day, young men and maidens met in the dance
to celebrate the Festival that was a culmination of long-cherished
hopes ; a Festival that exacted no charge for admission, since the
Horse had not yet imposed an onerous Debt; a Festival that was
free to all, — enjoyed by all, — whereof the fond remembrance is
cherished as a priceless possession by a surviving few, who can
never forgive the reckless mismanagement that forfeited such
innocent enjoyment for generations that shall come. And all, —
to demonstrate, what was never in doubt, that one horse can
move faster than another !

All which is Respectfully Submitted

[by]
EDWARD WINSLOW LINCOLN,

Secretary.

Horticultural Hall,

Worcester, Massachusetts,

Mvember 1, A. D. 1893.

APPENDIX.

LIST OF GRAPES GROWN AND MATURED OUT-DOORS

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF MASSACHUSETTS, A. D. 1893.
EXHIBITED AT WORCESTER.

Wordeo.

Agawam (Rogers No. 1.5).

Diana.

Merrimac (Rogers No. 19)

Eaton.

Requa (Rogers No. 28) .

Concord .

Rogers No. 30.

EnQpire State.

Rogers No. 32.

Triumph.

Rogers No. 33.

Seedling No. 18.

Rogers No. 34.

Grier's No. 2.

Arminia (Rogers No. 39) .

Arnold's No. 1.

Essex (Rogers No. 41).

Arnold's No. 2.

Herbert (Rogers No. 44).

Arnold's No. 16.

Salem (Rogers No. 52).

Centennial.

lona.

Lee's Prolific.

Martha.

Oneida.

Oriental.

Dutchess.

Norman.

Pocklington.

Lady.

Moore's Diamond.

Elvira.

Northern Muscat.

Elsinborg.

Champion.

August Giant.

Wyoming Red.

Highland.

Goethe (Rogers No. 1).

Woodruff Red.

Massasoit (Rogers No. 3).

Ulster.

Wilder (Rogers No. 4).

Witt.

Lindley (Rogers No. 9).

Pearl.

26

WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

Grier's Golden.

Clinton.

Hayes.

Green Mountain.

Golden Gem.

Jewell.

Moyer.

Montefiore.

Early Victor.

Brilliant.

Mills.

Peal^ody.

Rochester.

Jessica.

Ann Arbor.

Niagara.

Cottage.

Creveling.

Faith.

Janes ville.

Delaware Muscat.

Pizarro.

Prentiss.

Etta.

Jefferson .

Antoinette.

Secretary.

Augusta.

Amber.

Victoria.

Lady Washington.

No. 42.

Delaware.

Perkins.

Transparent.

Berckmans.

Vergennes.

Esther.

Poughkeepsie.

Golden Drops.

Caywood's No. 50.

Eldorado.

Bacchus.

Norton.

REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.

Worcester, Nov. 1, 1893.

To THE Members of the

Worcester County Horticultural Society.

In presenting the Annual Report as your Librarian I desire
to congratulate the Society on the increased interest taken in
the Library, not only by the members but by many who have
come from a distance to consult its volumes for needed informa-
tion on horticultural matters.

The following books, periodicals and papers have been added
the past year : —

United States Department of Agriculture. Report of the Pomolo-
gist for 1892. H. E. Van Dieman.

Bulletin No. 3. Report on the Experiments made in 1891 in the
Treatment of Plant Diseases.

Weather Bureau Reports. Bulletins Nos. 12 to 19, inclusive.

Reports from the Consuls of the United States. Nos. 142 to 157.

Bureau of American Republic. Bulletins Nos. 50 and 55.

Smithsonian Institution Reports : National Museum. Part 2, 1886 ;
Part 2, 1887; Part 2, 1888.

Tennessee State Board of Health. Bulletins for the year.

Cornell Agricultural Experimental Station Reports. Bulletins Nos.
44 to 57, inclusive.

Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station Reports. Bulletins
No. 88 to No. 95, inclusive.

Birds of Michigan. Pamphlet.

Rhode Island Experimental Station Reports. Bulletins Nos. 19 to
25, inclusive.

Fifth Annual Report of the Board of Managers of the Rhode Island
College of Agriculture. Part 2, 1892.

28 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893.

Massachusetts Agricultural College Reports. Bulletin No. 44.

Special Bulletin. Analysis of Corn.

Tenth Annual Report of Board of Control, Agricultural P^xperi-
mental Station.

Hatch Ex[)erimental Station Reports. Bulletins Nos. 20, 21.

Hatcli Plxperiirieutal Station Meteorological Observation Reports.
Bulletins Nos. 46 to 57, inclusive.

Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. Report for 1892.

Massachusetts Crop Reports. Bulletins Nos. 1 to G, inclusive.

Directory of the Agricultural, Grange and similar organizations in
the State. February, 1893.

Second Annual Report of the Trustees of Public Reservations, 1892.

A Memorial to Congress on the subject of a Road Department at
Washington.

Picture of the Horticultural Building at the World's Columbian
Exposition. A. G. Bullock.

Massachusetts Farm Laws by E. H. Bennett and S. C. Bement.
Massachusetts Society Promotion Agriculture.

Report of Parks-Commissioners, Worcester. E. W. Lincoln.

Valedictory Address of F. A. Harrington, Dec. 28, 1892.

Address of Hon. H. A. Marsh, Mayor, for 1893.

Report of American Pomological Society, Session of 1891.

Remarks of J. H. Walker, House of Representatives, Aug. 23, 1893.

Town Records of Worcester, 1817 to 1821. Society of Antiquity.

Transactions of Worcester North Agricultural Society. George
Cruickshanks.

From Massachusetts Horticultural Society :

Abandoned Farms Catalogue, Nov., 1892.

Loudon's Gardener, Monthly. Vols. 1 fo 8, inclusive. 1 826 to 1832.
Formerly in library of Downing.

Massachusetts Horticultural Society Reports. 1891, part 2; 1892,
part 1 ; 1893, part 1.

Ao-ricultural Gazette of Australia. Part of 3 years. Dea. Proctor.

Columbian Tribute. From F. S. Blanchard & Co.

American Agriculturist. Vols. 16 and 17, bound. American
Antiquarian Society.

Report of Metropolitan Parks Commission, Jan., 1893. E. I.
Comins.

French Plates — Pomology. 2o numbers. Col. Wilson of Milton.

Commercial Bulletin. From George M. Rice and Wm. I. Holmes.

1893.] REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN. 29

Purchased by Society :

Silva of North America. Vol. 5. Prof. Charles S. Sargent.

Dewey Fund :

The Shrubs of North-Eastern America. Charles S. Newhall.

Seedlings. 2 volumes. Sir John Lubbock.

Revue Horticole, 18!)2. Bound.

Journal of Horticulture, Eng. Vol. 25, new series, bound.

Curtis Botaaical Magazine. Vol. 48. Eng. Bound.

American Florist.

American Gardening.

American Agriculturist.

Country Gentleman.

Garden and Forest.

Massachusetts Ploughman.

Rural New Yorker.

Vick's Magazine.

Mehan's Gardening.

Agricultural Gazette. Eng.

Gardener Chronicle.

Garden.

Gardening Illustrated.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. A. HIXON, Librarian.

REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

Nathaniel Paine, Treasurer^

in account with Worcester County Horticultdral Society.

Dr.

1892, Nov. 1. Balance of cash as per last report,

1893. Received on account of temporary loan,
Nov. 1. Received from Chrysanthemum Exhibition,

Received interest on deposits to date.
From sale of tickets to Reunion,
From rent of stores to date.
From rent of hall to date,
For membership fees to date.

Total,

Cr.

1893, Nov. 1. By City taxes to date,
Water bills.
Temporary loan paid.
Coal bills.
Cash to judges,

Worcester Agricultural Society,
Interest on mortgage loan.
For printing and advertising,
On account of Reunion,
Cash to essayists,
Worcester Gas Light Co.,
PremiuQis,

Repairs and alterations.
Safe Deposit box,

S327.91

494.58

55.85

23.51

117.00

5,666.68

4,368.15

64.00

11.117.68

$ 618.00

81.97

1,500.00

566.57

150.00

100.00

750.00

331.21

211.50

60.00

663.23

1,416.82

1,395.84

5.00

1893.] REPORT OF THE TREASURER. 31

Books and magazines, 44.48

A. A. Hixon, expenses, and for assistant, 006.67
Paid on mortgage note, 600.00

For salaries, 1,549.97

On account of damages, 250.00

$10,961.26
1893, Nov. 1. Cash balance, 156.42

1,117.68

THE F. H. DEWEY FUND.

1893, Nov. 1. The balance of this fund exclusive of six months'
interest is $1,102.95, which is deposited in savings bank.

NATHL. PAINE, Treasurer.

November 1, 1893.
The undersigned has examined the report of the Treasurer and
finds the same to be correct and properly vouched, and the cash balance
is accounted for.

HENRY L. PARKER,

Auditor.

TEANSACTIONS

OF THE

WORCESTER COUNTY

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY,

A. D. 1898-94.

PART II.

CHARLES HAMILTON, PRINTER,
311 MAIN STREET.

1894.

CONTENTS

Page.
Address by President Henry L. Parker 5

Essay by Rev. W. T. Hutchins 10

Essay by Homer T. Fuller ... 28

Essay by George Cruikshanks 34

Essay by Robert Farqnhar 37

Essay by E. I. Comins 46

Essay by James Comley 58

Essay by Mrs. A. E. Henderson 65

WORCESTKll COUNTY

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

nth January, A. D. 1894.

ADDRESS

BY

Hon. HP:NRy L. PARKER, President.

The opening address was made by the President of the Soci-
ety, Hon. Henry L. Parker. It was informal in its character,
and his topic was the "Condition and Needs of the Society."
After discussing the financial position and the work of the past
year, he said : —

What we most need in the immediate future, in my own judg-
ment, is to increase the efficiency of our library, by making its
contents better known and more readily accessible, by com-
pleting valuable sets of books that are now incomplete, like the
Transactions of the Royal Horticultural Society, Curtis' Botan-
ical Magazine, Icones Plantarum, and others that might be
named, and by the addition of such books of recent publication
as will make the library up with the times in scientific research
in our special department. I do not intend by this any criticism
of our Library Committee. They have doubtless done the best
they coukl with the sums they have felt warranted in expending.
I am simply calling attention to what seems to me a pressing
need, as soon as the condition of our treasury shall admit.

We are accustomed to speak of our library with great pride,
and to call the attention of visitors and strangers to our many

rare volumes, elegantly illustrated, which we affirm cannot be

2

6 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

easily duplicated, and yet there are many works of a more or-
dinary character on special subjects relating to Horticulture,
which it" called for by investigators of those subjects we should
be unable to produce. We have not by any means as yet a com-
plete working library.

Hardly any addition to our library of greater value could be
made than a complete set of the publications of the Agricultural
Experiment Stations, with an index or catalogue. These publi-
cations, printed by the Government, might be had presumably
for the asking, and a key to a subject-index of this literature
could be obtained, on the same terms, of President Goodell of
the Agricultural College.

Of hardly less value are the Smithsonian reports relating to
botany and horticulture, and the entomological works of C. V.
Riley published by the Government. Most, if not all, of this
literature could be obtained through our Congressman or Sena-
tor, and would be, properly and systematically arranged and
cared for and catalogued, of inestimable value.

A card catalogue should be made, not only of subjects and
authors of all the books, but of all the plates as well. A library
without a catalogue is like an army without a system of military
tactics. These plates of plants and flowers upon our shelves, con-
tained in the Floral Magazine, Curtis's Botanical Magazine, the
Revue Horticole and the many other series of books, are an exact
reproduction from nature, in color, size, and form, accompanied
with a history and description, and yet are of little practical
value, because they can be found only by a long and tedious
search. Such a catalogue of plates would ofier an incentive to
an increase of membership, which should go a long way towards
defraying its cost.

Under the new course of study just adopted in our schools,
elementary instruction in natural history, especially botany, is
recommended — beoinning; with the lower o-rades. Our teachers
would find these plates, if made accessible by a catalogue, of
invaluable service.

But primarily they should be made of service to our own
members, and if thus made accessible, they should create or

1894.] ADDRESS. 7

stimulate botanical investigations or the study of vegetable
physiology. Could there be a wiser expenditure of money ?
Of course our own librarian, with his manifold duties, could not
undertake such a work, nor could such an enterprise be carried
out at once. It would need extraneous help and would be the
work of years. The Massachusetts Society have such a card cata-
logue, begun several years since, which is now well on the road
to completion, and, if I am rightly informed, the annual appro-
priation has been only $100 for the purpose.

Again, a Society like this should possess a herbarium. The
nucleus of one the Society can have at any time by accepting
the offer of a member of the Society and complying with the
condition imposed by him. That gentleman, perhaps the most
accomplished botanist in this city, has offered to us his pressed
and mounted and complete collection of the flora of Worcester
County, on condition that the Society provide a suitable recepta-
cle or, in other words, a glass case. If want of room prevents
compliance with the condition and consequent acceptance of such
a munificent ofier, then the sooner we pull down and build anew
the better.

Experimental Work.

I have, on one or two former occasions, suggested the feasi-
bility of the Society sometime in the future engaging in experi-
mental work of some nature. Exactly in what manner would
be a matter of detail. It may be a serious question whether we
should feel warranted in ever pursuing an independent line of
action, but much botanical and horticultural work has been done
in other localities in cooperation with other similar lines of in-
vestigation. The Arnold Arboretum is run in connection with
Harvard University. The Shavv Gardens and Washington Uni-
versity, at St. Louis, were found to be of mutual benefit to each
other. In fact, a class-room study of botany, however important,
is but half the work. This must be supplemented by a study of
plant life with all its adjuncts. And here the line of investiga-
tion runs closely alongside those of other sciences. It involves
chemical analysis — the use of the microscope — entomological
investisration.

S WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

For example, one of the most interesting and astonishing dis-
coveries in botany, and a very recent one, was made by the
eminent entomologist C. V. Kiley in the line of his own work,
and was that the Yucca plant, a plant belonging to the lily
family, is fertilized not by insects in search of food, but by a
single insect — a moth, belonging to the genus pronuba — called
the yuccasella moth, for the sustenance of its young. This
moth gathers the pollen from the anther by the aid of its tenta-
cles, rolls it up into a ball under its head, often three times the
size of its head, and holds it there with its tentacles. It then
flies to the pistil of the flower, pierces it by its ovipositor, a
lance-like organ which projects from the tip of its abdomen,
lays its eggs through this opening and then runs to the top of
the stigma and, by the aid of its tentacles and its tongue, forces
the pollen down the stigmatic tube. These eggs hatch in about
ten days and, as the fruit swells and grows, the larvae live upon
the seeds. As the fruit ripens the larvae bore their way out,
descend to the ground by a spider-like thread, bore into the
ground a few inches, remain there in a chrysalis state and, in the
course of time, come out again as moths.

The investigations which led to this discovery were made in
the Missouri Botanical Gardens, formerly known as the Shaw
Gardens, at St. Louis, and these investigations were afterwards
continued by Prof. Trelease, Director of the Gardens.

Two of the most valuable of the works of Charles Darwin,
viz.: "Insectivorous Plants" and the "Fertilization of
Orchids," were the result of his study of insect life in the Gar-
dens of Kew.

I might cite here also, as another illustration of the interde-
pendence of the sciences, that the discovery of the theory of the
cellular animal tissue originated fi-om the discovery of the vege-
table cellular tissue. Schleiden, the great German botanist, first
established the fact of the formation of cells in plants. Schlei-
den, soon after his discovery, met Schwann, the perhaps equally
eminent i)hysiologist, and told him about it, and they discussed
it together, over their beer. As Schwann went home, the
thought occurred to him, if plants grow thus why not animals,
and following out this thought he made experiments and investi-

1894.] ADDRESS. 9

gations which resulted in establishing the doctrine of the cellular
animal tissue.

It is possible that the future may. develop some scheme by
which we might co()perate with some other society or institution
in such experimental work. It is possible that State or govern-
mental aid, which has been rendered with a lavish hand to
agriculture, may be extended to a kindred science, which is
hardly less a factor in economics. It is possible, that upon the
strength of such cooperation, as a condition, an experiment sta-
tion might be secured at Worcester.

At any rate the idea of experimental work is not a new one
or original with me. Mr. Wm. G. Strong, ex-president of the
Massachusetts Society, says, " the idea of establishing an experi-
mental garden had eng-ao-ed the minds of the leaders of this Soci-
ety from its organization. The matter came up again when the
improvement of the Back Bay lands began. Some thought that
available space might be secured there, but before any definite
plan could be decided upon, the opportunity passed by. We
are occupying too expensive a home for our work and yet have
too little room."

Mr. Francis H. Appleton, of the same Society and in the same
discussion, said that " every member should consider seriously
whether the Society is using its means to the greatest and best
advantage by keeping them locked up in this land and building.
If it shall become possible in the future to add experimental
gardening to our work, or to join in any practical way with an
established garden, he thought it only reasonable to believe that
the Commonwealth might be disposed to entrust funds to the
Society — whose objects and evident purposes were to be pro-
gressive— to directly promote the public good by practical effort
to develop horticultural science."

I believe that sometime the opportunity will be presented for
such experimental work, on either a cooperative or independent
line. It may be many years before it comes. Till then, we
need to keep our enthusiasm alive, and ourselves awake and
abreast of the times. Making the best possible use of present
means, and ready to grasp and avail ourselves of such oppor-
tunity when presented.

i8th January, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

Rev. W. T. HUTCHINS, Indian Orchard, Mass.

Theme : — Sweet Peas and other Floivers.

Talking with Mr. Clark, of Peter Henderson & Co., last summer,
we estimated that 100 tons of Sweet Pea seed were sold in this
country last year. I think now that will be more nearly the cor-
rect estimate another year. Our large seed-houses now handle it by
the ton. Burpee had seven tons last year, and will have about the
same this year. One Pacific grower grew 30 acres of Henderson's
New White, making about three tons of that alone. One Pacific
grower will have 200 acres of the various sorts this year, and the
other will not be far behind. I should estimate that all the other
growers of Sweet Pea seed in this country will make 150 acres more.
The aggregate product, if we have a good season, ought to be about
55 tons, or 200 pounds per acre, which is but the beginning of this
new business in our country. Last year the English supply gave out
and they cabled to Burpee for all he could spare.

It seems rather anomalous for a grower to be shovelling out three
tons of one variety and to be paying $5.00 per 100 seeds for another
variety, as they have been glad to do for several of Eckford's new
sorts which I have just sent them. This represents the two polar
facts in the progress we are making in floriculture. I dare not esti-
mate what the demand is to be in this country, for I am constantly
hearing of amateurs and private gardens where the Sweet Pea is
grown almost as abundantly as the culinary pea. And as soon as
people master the few difficulties in growing this flower, they want to
revel in them and supply the whole neighborhood. What will even
1,000 acres of Sweet Peas be for this country's supply? It will be
about one-quarter of an ounce to each family. A large estimate of

1804.] ESSAYS. 11

what we shall grow this year would be only oue-eighth of an ounce
for each family. And yet I know of private gardens where more
than a pound is planted. We get an idea of what the business is
from the fact that Henderson had 30 acres of Emily Henderson, a
crop of about three tons, none of it being offered this year to the
trade in more than ounce packages, and at 50 cents per ounce to the
public.

We are sorely tried with Mr. Eckford, and are trying to American-
ize him in his ideas of getting seed stock into our growers' hands so
that our flower public can get his gems in some reasonable time and
quantity. We ought to have at least enough stock this year of what
he offered in England last year to give people a taste, but the few
ounces that could be grown from sealed packets of 10 or 12 seeds
last Summer must all be kept for seed stock, and even a house like
Burpee's cannot offer a packet till another year. Eckford's Scotch
blood must be slow or he would catch on to the Star of the West.
He might have put an ounce of Blushing Beauty, or Venus, or Fire-
fly into our growers' hands two years ago, and the crop would have
been 100 ounces the first year, and 600 pounds the second year, and
that crop would be worth at the English price per ounce to-day
$4,800, and if the same had been done with the six novelties, which,
though now old to me, have not been seen by many of you, would
have made a value of $28,800. I think it would pay Mr. Eckford to
be less shy with his beauties and get them into our trade. A pound
of Lady Beaconsfield, Lady Penzance, or Stanley is worth to Mr.
Eckford this year, in sealed packets, $320. Morse of California
would be glad to make 100 pounds of that one pound in one year,
and it would be easily worth $8 per pound another year. I do not
believe Mr. Eckford is making money as fast as that by keeping us
waiting. Our California growers have a wonderful soil, remarkably
sure in its results.

The interesting points of this flower are just dawning upon the
American public. I am not a special pleader, nor do I let my en-
thusiasm run away with me. The Sweet Pea has always borne a
happy kind of popularity for its artless beauty and sweet fragrance,
even in its old plebeian form. But now, with every old variety carried
up to the improved form and size, and the new colors and shadings
added to the list, until we have 80 or more varieties of real merit, it
challenges the attention which you are giving to it at this hour, and
I sincerely congratulate any one who feels the thrill of the pleasure
which this flower is to afford our American lovers of flowers.

12 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

Though Mr. Eckford is slow and keeps us about two years behind
the times, there are other points that I can report upon to-day with
great good cheer. In the first place we are getting ready for happy
times. Our large seed-houses have now found out that in handling
Sweet Peas they are handling a flower which, probably more than any
other popular flower, comes true to name from seed. You do not
get all colors from one pod of Sweet Peas, as you might from pinks
or chrysanthemums. Here is an annual, each seed of which, as a
rule, produces its own distinct variety. So true is this that it is
extremely difficult to cross varieties and get any direct result. From
the very construction of the closed keel, and the fact that each blos-
som fertilizes itself when two-thirds open, the pure blood of each
variety, with peculiar exclusiveness, flows on in an established strain,
and you get from a reliable packet of seed the thing you expect from
the name.

Now our seedsmen have sold a great deal of cheap mixture, and I
have no doubt many of them have been skeptical about keeping the
varieties distinct, and the new varieties have been coming over from
England so fast that we have not kept pace. And then a few big
seed-houses, perhaps, get Mr. Eckford's own seed and description of
his varieties, but they are too busy in passing their seed along to go
into particulars, and so the catalogues of the country put in their own
"hit or miss" description of varieties, and in buying j^ou are as
likely to get Black for Boreatton as anything. Then the groicing of
seed is new in this country. It is only about four years ago that they
disputed with me in Boston about growing Sweet Pea seed in America.
I thought it could be done, but did not anticipate the success of the
California growers. Now some of you doubtless did not feel very
cheerful last year to find that the plump California seed did not
always come true to name. They, too, have been groping in the
dark, and I can tell you there will be disappointments again this sea-
son in the seed we shall buy this Spring. I can almost tell you what
you will get from every package of seed, for the bulk of the seed sold
here this year will be American. It is splendid seed, but it is going
to take our growers one year more to get their lists down to accurate
descriptions. And that is one word of cheer I bring. The first of
May I expect to visit California, at the invitation of Messrs. Morse
& Co., and assist, so far as I am able, in vogueing their entire crop
of Sweet Peas. This is both a generous act on their part, and a
genuine indication of their wish and purpose to send out hereafter
only such seed as is true to name. The present year will begin an

1894.] ESSAYS. 13

era of reliable American seed covering the entire list of Sweet Peas,
and the best thing about it is that we can supply every one with the
finest varieties at a figure that will indeed make it the people's flower.
I shall not give away wholesale prices and seedsmen's secrets, for the
infinite details of the seed business make it worth ten cents to put
one-fourth of an ounce of reliable seed into your hands, although the
grower's price, and the wholesaler's price, and the florist's scale price
are a long ways off from that. The growers will pay ^5.00 per
hundred for seeds of novelties this year, and in two years the retail
price will put it into the stock of every florist. Mr. Morse, with his
200 acres of Sweet Peas, writes me this week that last season he had
just two seeds of Emily Eckford. I suppose that is all that he made
germinate from one of Mr. Eckford's sealed packets. I sometimes
fail on an entire packet, and sometimes get three plants ; but the
second year's seed seems to be all right. But America will revel in
this beautiful flower, for we can supply the world with seed. And
there will soon be no excuse for any seedsman offering to his patrons
a packet that is not true to name. And besides the three or four
varieties which are of American origin, we have other original varieties
in the works, and shall more likely be troubled with too many than
too few.

And let me say I am especially pleased at the probability of all our
seedsmen recognizing a standard list. Now is the time to do it
before we get wild over new American varieties. And, certainly,
since the Sweet Pea comes true from seed, there is no reason why our
entire seed trade should not respect the standard list up to date, and
as fast as new varieties of real merit are offered they ought to expect
to be recognized by the trade only so far as they have been certifi-
cated by some society or association.

Now take the present status of the Sweet Pea. I hope soon to
know the history of every variety. I think I can say I have confi-
dence in 76 distinct named varieties, not counting my own. Of these,
just 40 are Mr. Eckford's, not counting his Queen of England, which
is the commonest kind of a white. Seven of the very latest Eckford's
have been seen in England, but not here. My familiarity with all
his varieties up to this year leads me to have confidence in his new
ones, though I fear we shall not see them even this year. The 49
Eckfords that are distinct certainly give him the lead on this flower.

Mr. Henry Eckford of Shropshire, England, is a specialist, more
particularly in developing the Sweet Pea and the culinary pea. He
is also at work on pansies and cinerarias. Some of our latest culi-

14 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

nary peas are from his hand. He is an old Scotchman, and loves
his Sweet Peas. About 18 years he has been patiently at work on
this flower. For seven years he got no result, and was told by
florists he could not improve the Sweet Pea. Besides carrying the
old varieties up into improved size and form, he has given us some
remarkable new colors and set this flower forward on its way to
unlimited improvement. Early in the season of 1893 he sent out a
price list offering six of his latest varieties, but a later list, which
only few seedsmen saw in this country, offered the entire 12. Spring-
field had all of these in bloom. I succeeded in getting good results
from all but one. The following are the names and descriptions :
Blushing Beauty, a soft, light pink, about the same shade as the Mrs.
Gladstone, but of the larger, expanded form ; Duke of Clarence, rosy
claret, like the Purple Prince and Monarch in form, but more of a
wine color than either of those ; Emily Eckford, a reddish mauve
when it first opens and on the first day closely resembles the Doro-
thy Tennant, but they part company in color after that, and the
former then approaches, as Mr. Eckford says, a true blue — it is
characteristic of all the blue Sweet Peas that they are not blue till
about the third day ; Firefly, the intensest scarlet-crimson variety we
have yet had, and of excellent size; Gaiety, supposed to be a white
flower striped and flaked with bright, rosy lilac, but with us part of
the blossoms have a cheap red stripe, and the rest have had very
faint lilac markings — it either does not hold to the description or is
not remarkable ; Lady Beaconsfield, not a loud variety, but of very
high quality, remarkable for its primrose yellow wings, and having a
soft, salmon-blush standard ; Lady Penzance, one of the most strik-
ing and pleasing of all, the entire flower being a beautiful lacework
of bright rose pink, and of improved size ; Ovid, another pink variety
with margin of deeper rose ; Peach Blossom, a buff-pink, the buff on
the standard fading almost into white ; Royal Robe, a delicate pink
of fine form, but slightly different from Blushing Beauty ; Stanley, a
deep maroon, and promised to be a large flower, which it probably is
in England, but with us has been no improvement on the Boreatton ;
Venus, a beautiful salmon-buff and the best variety brought out this
year.

It is a bold step for Mr. Eckford to oft'er 12 new varieties in one
season, but most of them are decided acquisitions, and we need to
make allowance for the severe test of an unfavorable season and the
first year's change from the English to the American climate. In
1892 we could hardly form a correct judgment of the six varieties

1894.] ESSAYS. 15

then offered as novelties, but this year we have seen just what they
are. These are the Dorothy Teuuaut, Her Majesty, Ignea, Lemon
Queen, Mrs. Eckford, and Waverly. The Mrs. Eckford leads the
list, and is a primrose yellow of splendid form. Her Majesty is a
beautiful rose, a shade softer than the Splendour and larger. Lemon
Queen hardly holds to its name because in 24 hours it has faded into
white, but it is larger. Dorothy Tennant is a fine mauve several
shades deeper than the Countess of Radnor. Waverly at first can
hardly be told from Captain of the Blues, but while the latter changes
into blue, the former holds its rosy, claret color. Ignea is a crimson
scarlet, a shade deeper than P'irefly. This may be said, that the last
two years' introductions prove that Mr. Eckford has mastered the
problem of improving the Sweet Pea. We want them as fast as he
can give them to us. At the same time, the demand for the entire
list will be confined to only a few seed-houses and here and there a
collector of varieties. Some of them everybody who wants fine
Sweet Peas ought to have.

Laxtou, another English seedsman, offers five new varieties. They
are the Etna, Carmen Sylva, Madame Carnot, Princess May, and
Rising Sun. We also have about seven of the old varieties that have
come down from time immemorial, the Painted Lady being perhaps
the oldest. One of the old Curtiss magazines in your library traces
the origin of Painted Lady to Ceylon. About 1700 is the date of the
introduction of the Sweet Pea to botanical notice. Then besides the
Eckford and Laxton varieties, and the seven old varieties, there are
about a dozen varieties of real merit, the names of which are more or
less familiar to us. Then I think four American varieties deserve
recognition up to date, the Blanche Ferry, Emily Henderson, Ameri-
can Belle, and Splendid Lilac. I could give a list of other names in
our catalogues, but they will not pass muster. People ask me about
certain names that are found in the lists of Boston catalogues, not
recognized elsewhere. Some of these names now go in simply
because they are in their electroplates, and it is probably cheaper to
leave them in than cut them out. I keep trying every year to find
something of original value in them. People will say, name the best
dozen of all the varieties. I should say that of all the varieties I
have seen, the best dozen are, Blanche Ferry, Blushing Beauty,
Countess of Radnor, Dorothy Tennant, Firefly, Her Majesty, Lady
Penzance, Mrs. Eckford, Mrs. Sankey, Orange Prince, Stanley, and
Venus. And it would be a pity not to include Lady Beaconsfield and
20 others. I put in Mrs. Sankey for white because it has the improved

16 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, [1894.

form. I think the Emily Henderson leads all the white seeded
whites now in the trade, for it has excellent size and substance,
but Mrs. Sankey is a black seeded white and very fine. I am expect-
ing that the new Blanche Burpee will, when we get it, beat them all.
Indeed, the Lemon Queen is white after the first day, and is larger
than Mrs. Sankey, and has the advantage of starting in with a lemon
tint instead of a pinkish tint, such as the Mrs. Sankey has. That
greenish white makes the most glistening white. There is just a
suggestion of pink blood in the Mrs. Sankey. The Emily Henderson
is as white as the jasper-white narcissus, and has all the good quali-
ties of the Blanche Ferry. It only needs a process of liigh culture
and selection to carry it up to the expanded form.

Now the Sweet Pea already ranks with other popular florist and
exhibition flowers. It is interesting to see how one flower after
another comes forward for special culture, and not only commands a
place as a leading exhibition flower, but becomes the subject of a
special literature. One by one our old garden favorites move to the
front and form a galaxy of competitive flowers. It is no arbitrary
authority that decides what flowers shall thus be put into the front
rank for exhibition purposes. Taking the season through we have a
succession of prominent flowers, each one of which has its particular
season, and during that time, whether for a day, week, or month,
they take their turn in holding a sort of aristocratic place among the
more plebeian varieties of our gardens. Any flower that commands
the first place in its particular season is bound to be promoted to that
galaxy of favorites which make up our list of special exhibition flow-
ers. And every such flower will have the best skill devoted to it,
and the unlimited expense and favor of the enthusiast bestowed upon
it ; and every such flower will have its own literature ; and associa-
tions will spring up to give it their patronage and protection. Each
flower must win its place as the best that blooms in its particular
season, and its promotion is then assured. The pansy has its day
because it has outstripped some other early flowers. The rose
monopolizes our attention for its short period, and nobody thinks to
put forward a rival. The gladiolus has a right to say, "My day has
come." pjven the aster and the dahlia command their places. And
the chrysanthemum bides its time when it can astonish us all. What
will you say is the people's flower in July and early August if not the
Sweet Pea? Surely for a time it has hardly a competitor. And even
though it becomes a drug on the florist's hands, because everybody
can have an abundance of their own Sweet Peas, its popularity is on

1894.] ESSAYS. 17

the increase. It has passed beyond that period when its fragrance
alone was its chief merit, and now the eye is charmed by the wondrous
variety of colors brought out by an exhibit that is up to date. And
this year is to confirm our most enthusiastic praise of it, for hereto-
fore we could have but a few stems of the finest acciuisitions, while
this year, at Springfield, I see no reason why we should not have
large bouquets of them. I shall plant seed by the hundred that can
only be bought, and doubtful stuff at that, for five cents a seed.
After burying a good many five-dollar bills in that way we get a
premium of four or six dollars, if we are lucky. But the Sweet Pea
has won its place, thanks largely to Mr. Eckford, and having won its
place the promise of what it is to be is well nigh unbounded. I have
no doubt there is many a modest little flower waiting tearfully in the
back-ground for somebody to find out its wondrous possibilities.
And I am sure we are every one of us so magnanimous in our love of
flowers that we will welcome the humblest of God's beautiful crea-
tions, whether a wild flower, or an old forgotten favorite, to the
noblest place the specialist can make it worthy of.

Now this year will, I think, prove that the Sweet Pea no longer
needs a special pleader. Any one who has seen the colors of this
flower in massed bouquets, the shades of rose and scarlet and pink,
the blues and purples and browns, the glistening white, and the deep
velvety maroon, the ever popular pink and white, and now all these
set off by such new acquisitions of color as we have in the Orange
Prince, the Primrose Tellow, the delicate lavender of Countess of
Radnor, the salmon buff of Venus, 80 such bouquets no longer leave
us to dispute whether the time has come for Sweet Pea shows.
Yes, and the time has come to set up standards of excellence for this
flower, and to treat it with something more than a little gush of femi-
nine ecstasy. There is no flower that can be classified with more
scientific accuracy, none that comes truer to our calculation, and none
that promises greater things.

Let me speak now in the plainest and most practical way of the
rules for growing Sweet Peas. I will first point out such rules as
there can be no dispute about, and then try to give the reasons why
many people fail, even when trying to follow those rules.

1. Sunlight we must have for Sweet Peas, and this is far more
important than the nature of the soil. And a sunny location has also
the advantage of thawing the ground out earl}^ so that the planting
may be done in good season. And the rows should be planned so
that the morning sun will strike one side, aud the afternoon sun the

18 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

other. Thauk God sunlight is free to all, and its quality is just as
rich for one as another. So I say choose a sunny place if you want
abundance of bloom.

2. There is another point in location. Trees may not shade your
garden, but they may be near enough to it to rob it of all its fertility.
I would as soon have a row of trees shading it on the south side, as
to have them near enough on the north or any other side to send their
ravenous roots where they will suck both moisture and nutriment
away from your vines. The north ends of my rows run to the front
fence, and just over the sidewalk are small maple trees and one small
elm tree, and they suck the ground as dry as an ash heap so that my
vines dry up at the north end and make but a weak display. I shall
trench all along the fence and cut off every root, but the old robbers
will go at it again, and especially the elm tree.

3. The matter of soil. I am more and more convinced that a clay
loam is best, but by a judicious exercise of common sense any spot
of ground that has the sunlight can be made to grow perfect Sweet
Peas. I have never had the right kind of soil myself, but, since I
learned to grow them, I have never failed. If I wanted a row of
Sweet Peas, and had only a city back-yard filled in with coal ashes
and tin cans, I would agree to have a magnificent row. Of course in
that case I would make a good liberal trench and fill it in with as
much care as a big flower-pot. I will speak of the trench method
later. Well, take any such garden soil as you have. It may be
sandy, or it may be the lightest kind of an old worn out loam. It
may be light clay or heavy clay. Of course those of you who are
working ground by the acre know what to do in bringing up a barren
sand, or a worn out loam to fertility, and how to lighten a heavy clay.
But I am supposed to be helping amateurs over the difficulties of a
row of Sweet Peas. People ask, should the ground be rich? I say,
yes, and yet from the reports I receive of many failures I suspect
people are overdoing the matter of making their ground rich. You
ask a gardener about culinary peas, and he will say that dwarf peas
will bear and need rich feeding, but tall peas you must look out for
lest you drive them to vines by rank feeding. Well, Sweet Peas are
tall, and many people do get rank vines and no blossoms, and over-
feeding is partially to blame. But I am trying to make my ground
very rich, for the reason that Sweet Peas have a season of six months,
and I want them to keep sending up fresh branches clear into Octo-
ber. Of course we are not growing seed, for if we were we should
plan our fertilizing so as to mature the crop evenly and at a much

1894.] ESSAYS. 19

earlier date than for flowers alone. But you and I want three months
of bloom, and the finest blossoms will come in Indian Summer days.
So I say, yes, rich soil is wanted to carry the vines through a long
season. But now it is just there where failure and success hinges.
Folks say to me, I followed your rules and my vines either went to
rank, bloomless weeds, or else they turned yellow and died before
they had any chance to bloom.

Well, now, I should say to most folks: If you have a tolerably
good garden soil don't fuss with any extra manure until at least your
vines get up three feet, where they are ready to feed rapidly and will
digest strong food. It takes a wise mother's skill to feed a baby to
make it strong, and it takes a florist's skill to know how not to feed a
tender plant and how to feed it, so it will get the food when it needs
it. I many times start slips ignorantly in pots filled with too rich a
compost, and the baby slips have a precarious existence for weeks
because they can't bear such rich feeding. A little learning is a dan-
gerous thing in the flower business, and with this new revival in
Sweet Peas many people have rushed in to get big Eckfords, and
have put rank manure or rich compost into their soil, and starved and
rotted and burnt their vines by excess of feeding and overanxious
care. I have been burying cords of manure in my ground, but I keep
at least six inches of the poorest soil on top. I want it rich down
where the roots will feed, when they get large enough to feed. And
we have to plant our Sweet Peas deep to stand the Summer drought.
The vine doesn't feed above the root, and of what use is it to have the
upper soil full of rank matter? There is where the vine burns and
rots. The upper five or six inches of soil should be kept as cool as
possible, and a mulching above that shades it. But suppose in your
zeal for fine Sweet Peas you spade in manure clear up to the surface
of the ground, and the July sun is pouring down on that, and those
tender vines with their seeds down deep have got to come up through
that rank, heating manure, and because they seem to grow slowly you
water them, and then you wonder why they get slimy and rot and die
down. Every gardener knows that peas germinate at a low tempera-
ture, and love the cool end of Summer. It is a part of our problem
how to feed Sweet Peas and keep them cool in July. I stand before
my Sweet Peas and wonder how, when culinary peas mildew in mid-
summer, these beautiful vines can hold their green thrift, and be in
the very prime of abundant bloom. Now, it would be a study to tell
each man how to treat his particular soil so as to get these conditions
which I have suggested, — plenty of plant food, where and when

20 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

wanted, and a cool upper soil around the vines. That upper soil
may be any kind of poor soil, only I would not forget the mulching.
A good average garden soil is safe, because its richness is likely to be
moderjite and uniform. If you plant right in such a soil without ex-
tra preparation, I would, after the vines get a good strong start, give
them a good occasional watering with liquid manure or wash-day suds,
or hoe in such fertilizers as will take hold at once, but don't begin to
do this till they can bear it.

Now, since we are apt to have trouble with our Sweet Peas if we try
to manure the ground in spring, I make it a rule to put into my
ground whatever manure it needs in the fall. And the fall or winter
is the best time to put on wood ashes, which is one of the best plant
foods for Sweet Peas. We all know bone flour is excellent. And, if
we make trenches, tobacco stems are excellent to put into the bottom.
But in every case let us either depend on the garden soil for a suffi-
cient richness or else put our compost deep enough so the upper soil
can not burn or rot the vines above the seed.

Now, I use the trenching method a good deal, and it is applicable
everywhere. When you dig a trench for Sweet Peas throw the best
soil on one side and the poorest bottom soil on the other. Make your
trench about 14 inches deep and wide enough for a double row. Put
as thoroughly decomposed manure as you can get into the bottom,
then the richest soil, and leave the poorest soil to fill in afterwards.
Your seed in every case should be planted five inches deep, and so
you will at first fill your trench in so as to leave about five inches of
it open. Plant your seed in such soil as the tenderest roots will bear,
counting on the feeding growing richer as the stronger roots go down.

4. Now about covering your seed. There is no arbitrary rule.
Your judgment must control. My rule is this : I plant as near the
first of April as possible, and the ground is of course cold. A cov-
ering of an inch lets the sun's warmth get to the seed. But the
warmer the ground or the later you plant, the deeper you would cover.
It is absurd for people in a warmer latitude to follow the rule of shal-
low covering. And people sometimes tell me how they covered their
Sweet Peas four inches and how finely they did. That's all right. I
usually cover about an inch, and this year I shall not be in so much
of a hurry to fill in the remainder of the trench till my vines get
pretty stocky. I hope by hardening the young vines a little to the
weather to have very little loss this year.

5. The time of planting. This depends on when your frost is out,
but the nearer to the first of April it is, the better. Why? Of

1894.] ESSAYS. 21

course tliey germinate at a low temperature and you need have no
fear of frosts. But it isn't impatience that plants early. This vine,
with the culture it ought to have, is a tall-growing pea vine. Its
habit of growth may become a vice, and it may all go to vine. You
want blossoms. I can only explain it in this way. With the rich
feeding we ought to give it, the only way to save it from becoming
a vicious weed, is to steady it down by slow growth at first. This
may be all moonshine, bat I think not. Your seed should be in early
and slowly starting. They should be up before the first of May, and
grow very slowly for a mouth. People get impatient, but that slow
start is a virtue, and they should not be fussed over. Perhaps they
are six inches or a foot high the first of June. Pretty soon after that
tliey are going to make up lost time, and if they have had this steady-
ing down, you'll see the first buds about June 20th, and that one first
bud then is a cheering sign on Sweet Peas. It means they are not
going to rush by the blooming point and leave you disappointed. It
looks to me as if the cause of rank vines and no blossoms is a quick
germination and rapid start and fast feeding under conditions that do
not steady it down. Early planting is a simple rule, and a very sure
one. Indei'd, if one waits till the frosts are by before planting Sweet
Peas, they will make but little growth, until the cooler days of autumn
come, when it may be they will start in and blossom to some extent.

6. Notice the rule of deep planting. Mr. Eckford's rule is to
plant three inches deep, leaving the ground a little hollow and mulch-
ing them in summer. I do not care to set any rule for this country.
I plant five inches deep, and what I mean by that is, I fill my trench,
as I have suggested, to within four inches of the top, and sow my
seed one inch deep in that, and after they get a few inches high I fill
in the rest of the top soil.

7. Let me suggest, if you have never had good success, that you
try another plan, and, instead of sowing your seed directly in the
trench, you sow them in some sheltered place, and after they are an
inch or two high transplant them into your permanent row. In any
case always have enough seed to sow an extra lot for this purpose, to
fill in the missing spaces by transplanting. I transplant a great
many, and always have a little extra side row of each variety.

8. In the case of the expensive, imported Eckford's I dare not
trust a single seed directly in the cold spring soil. These I sow in
boxes or pots in a moderately warm room, and always transplant. I
am asked why this expensive Eckford seed is so poor the first year.
I do not think there is any dishonest trick about it. Last year I had

3

22 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

two packets each of the 12 novelties, — about 24 seeds each, and, in
the case of Ovid, I got not a single plant ; four plants of Venus ;
about six of Lady Beaconsfield and Lady Penzance, and so on.
Another gentleman in Springfield had four packets each of the set of
12 novelties, and, though he has a fine clay loam, the results showed
up about as well as mine. But this year I should have little fear of
putting every seed I got from these vines right into the ground, and I
think hardly one will fail.

9. Now, to go on with the rules, along the first week of June is a
critical time on account of the cut worms. And yet I feel little
respect for any one who will let a cut worm get more than one plant.
If you have filled in your trench an inch or two by the time the cut
worms come, they will simply cut off the part that shows, and there
ought still to be left a joint or two of the plant, and it will sprout
again. But if you have from the start covered your seed four inches
and the cut worm cuts them down the plant is gone. But why let a
cut worm operate more than one night. Poke him out at once and
snap him.

10. About the first week of June the question of bushes or trellis
is on you, for supporting the vines. I use white birch brush entirely.
I have them brought to me in lengths of 12 or 14 feet, and of each
one I make two, cutting the stout end in seven-foot lengths, and
using the more bushy top to fill in between. I always plant in
double rows so as to bush between. And unless you have stout brush
on which they can climb six feet some August storm will lay them
out for you. I find it difficult to persuade people to bush them
strongly. Last year I paid a man a cent and a half for each 12-foot
brush delivered.

11. Now the chances are when you find that some of your seed
did not germinate, and the cut worms have foraged on them, and the
blight still further has depleted them, you will wish you had planted
your seed thicker. But first mind this, if, when your vines are
beginning to bloom, they stand three inches apart that is all right.
And if you take them in time you can supply missing places by trans-
planting. But I would plant seed enough, not thickly in straight
lines, but sow the double rows in a loose line, by which you can put
in twice as much seed without crowding. And do not fail to thin out
at last if necessary.

Let me urge upon you great patience in growing Sweet Peas. The
month of May will find you wond(U'iug why they grow so slowly. By
all means let them grow slowly in May. It is a great virtue. They

1894.] ESSAYS. 23

are makiug a root. Keep the weeds and the hens out, but do not
fuss over them in May. There ought to be little need of watering
them till later, and do not put any • suds on them till they are
stronger. They must grow slowly or you will have no blossoms.

jMy new book will illustrate seven or eight styles of trellis. A little
ingenuity allows plenty of ways of making a trellis, but it must be six
feet high, and must not cramp the vines.

12. I am sorry that people disobey one rule, and that is in letting
pods grow, and saving a lot of seed. If they are growing seed all
right, but if they think they can enjoy blossoms and save seed too,
I simply say they are welcome to such seed as they will get. They
will have about a third as many varieties next year, the cheaper sorts
predominating, and if they follow it up they will have just such Sweet
Peas as their grandmothers had. An ounce of a dozen varieties can
be bought at a first-class dealer's for ten cents, and an ounce is enough
for most folks. What enjoyment that means for ten cents !

Now we shall be out of fashion if we do not have a tine row this
year. The best rule of all is, Keep on trying till you succeed.

There is a question before this country of getting seed of the very
highest grade. We want to be assured that if we pay a first-class
price we are getting seed that will produce varieties at their very best.
If we buy a packet of Eckford's Monarch we want it to be the full
sized Monarch, and not the old Black Sweet Pea. If we pay for
Senator we want Senator in its noblest form, and not the old Dark
Striped. Our choice is going to lay between sending to Eckford for
his sealed packets, or else beginning now in this country to start a
line of special seed growing in which the most careful attention shall
be given to a small acreage to hold these new varieties at their best.
Of course it will be to the interest of our large growers to make their
seed stock just what it ought to be. They cannot save a few pounds
of seed each year from their general acreage, and use it for seed
stock, and expect to keei) the varieties up to their best type. They
should cultivate an acre or more every year by itself, and put on to
that acre a skilled florist, and bring every vine to Eckford's highest
standard. The seed grown on that special acre is the seed you and I
want. The seed you and I get is from a field crop grown on large
contracts, and most of it is good seed, but I see plainly the indication
of the varieties falling back to an inferior form and size. Well, Mr.
Eckford sells no variety less than a shilling a packet, and while you
can rely on his seed being true, you cannot rely on its germinating in
our severe climate. I like those California growers, and have great

24 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, [1894.

confideuce iu their inteutiou to do the best possible thing for us, but
it is ''business" with them, and they have got to grow tons of seed
as cheap as possible, and all their seed passing through the trade
must be of this kind grown on contract or for trade prices. The
wholesale prices are not very different between the Hopkins strain
and the Morse Company. I have no doubt that as this business
develops they will give us what we pay for. They would take double
pains with a crop for double price. I shall do my best to keep the
matter stirred up at this end. The Sweet Pea is now an exhibition
flower. In chrysanthemums you can make slips form the finest sorts ;
in Sweet Peas we depend wholly on seed. You can buy pansy seed
at all prices. "We certainly ought to have two sets of prices on
American grown Sweet Peas. I have no doubt this country is to be
the great source of supply for this seed. I even believe our Pacific
coast will by special culture carry this flower in form and size and
substance beyond Mr. Eckford's most sanguine work. Perhaps the
demand has hardly yet risen for high priced seed, and certainly but
few of Eckford's expensive packets are sold in this country, but the
tide of interest is rising. The Sweet Pea is at a stage now when a
special trade should be cultivated iu the interest of those for whom
price is a secondai'y consideration, and those who are entering the
lists for competitive floriculture. You can get no definite idea from
most of the seed catalogues about this flower yet. There is no uni-
formity in prices, partly because no two, perhaps, put the same
quantity of seed in a packet. And you may buy your seed of Burpee,
or in Boston, or in Worcester, and you will get the same grade of
seed. And it is good seed. I would by all means buy of your home
seedsmen just as far as they keep the varieties. You may buy the
Lottie P^ckford, but you will not get it of any house in this country
this year. Every seedsman thinks he has it, but he has not. Mr.
Eckford, himself, has lost the original Lottie Eckford, and this year
begins over again with a new description. You may buy the Miss
Hunt. I have two or three different lots of it, but have no confidence
in either, and have just sent to English headquarters for it. Our
California growers got mixed up on it. One of our best Boston
houses last year thought they had the Primrose. As soon as I saw
the seed I said it was not Primrose, and they wrote on and found the
growers had been misled on that. You may buy the Delight, and
you will likely get the Fairy Queen. You may buy the Empress of
India, and you will get a mixture of Beatrice and Mrs. Gladstone,
and so on. But that is because we are a fast growing country. Our

1894.] ESSAYS. 25

seedsmen are doing the best they can, and I am sure our California
growers will correct these mistakes. The public may lose coutidence
in a seedsman here and there, but my confidence in their honesty and
purpose to faithfully serve the public has gone up several pegs since
I came to get a little behind the scenes. One year more will do much
to make all the seed grown in this country true to name.

Were there time I would like to say something about specialists in
floriculture. I would plead for their multiplication. It is indeed
almost an infinite word to talk of specialists, yet every flower waits
for them, and our best progress to-day is but tardy compared to what
it will be when the real era of enthusiasm dawns, and instead of
dabbliug in a little of everything we each consecrate ourselves with
the aim of an artist and the devotion of a scientist to some par-
ticular flower. An amateur is one now who amuses himself with
flowers. We need a generation of specialists who will concentrate
their floral love to a mission to make the most, each of his own chosen
flower. I would love to be a specialist iu Sweet Peas, but, I confess,
I can only play at them. But I have caught a glimpse now and then
of what a specialist must be. If he attempts to fill out the full
measure of the word, and to get his one flower thoroughly in hand, he
will find it is enough for one man to do to just compass the world-
wide correspondence that is needed to get at the sources of informa-
tion respecting his one flower. And, again, it is enough for a man
of fertile brain to write what ought to be written to give the public
an intelligent appreciation of the beauties and points of merit and of
progess of a rapidly developing flower. And then in the direct work
of growing the flower at its best, of improving it, of subduing its
special diseases, and finding the sure way to destroy the pests that
prey upon it, and that more advanced work of the development of
new varieties, in which season after season the delicate manipulation
of bud and blossom, and the constant watching for results and of
variations in nature, and the tireless process of selection, goes on,
requiring a keen eye for everything, and an unflagging zeal, requiring
the most minute records, and the most classified preservation of
everything experimented upon, the range of vision broadening every
year, and every year the eye growing keener for observation ; this is
but a suggestion of the specialist's work, and it is ivork, but it is here
that pleasure has its finest zest, and that the most exciting surprises
are found, and the keenest senses of the soul are tingled even to the
intoxication of delight. The gaping world may call such a man an
enthusiast, giving to the word more or less of the meaning that he is

26 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

a " crank," but the uninitiated world doesn't know what it is that so
absorbs him, he has a little heaven of his own. Mr. Eckford is an
old Scotchman, but I think he must have the instincts of the special-
ist in him. I am told that about all any one can get out of him is,
that he will take one of his novelties in his fingers and hold it off like
a connisseur and say, "That's a grand flower." He wrote me that
he worked seven years on the Sweet Pea before he got any result. It
is one of the most difficult flowers we have for hybridizing, and it is
no mean monument for a man to produce one new variety that is dis-
tinct enough to deserve a name.

Now, I did not finish about the specialist's work. Besides his
correspondence and his contributions to floral literature, aud practical
work at being his own grower, and his skilled work at improving and
adding to the varieties, besides all this, there comes in the annual
exhibition work, and when one has got a creditable exhibit ready for
Boston so as to get it there at 10 A. M., and repeated that experience
for other cities day after day, as we ought to do in this countr3\
whatever way he may get his pay back, it is one of the conditions of
being a specialist. And then, lest the whole thing come to naught,
his work has got to issue in some sort of seed business, the easiest
way to do which is probably to gratify the big seed-houses in their
incessant demand for novelties, and they are only too glad to have
specialists help them out. But it doesn't end so easily as that, for
any one who is a successful specialist must pay the price of being
importuned for a thousand favors in the Avay of special seed, special
advice, and special interest in every one who writes, even though they
forget to enclose a stamp. Well, now, I said I wanted to plead for
the muUiplication of specialists, but I fear 1 have beaten a regular
'"tom-tom" to scare them away. This remains true, that the field
opens very wide in this country for specialists. The man who has
courage to be one, ought also to resolve to be an absolutely unselfish
one, for he has got to do a brave aud impartial work in reducing all
synonyms to rightful names, in overriding all the selfish schemes of
seed-houses to advertise themselves, in frowning upon all premature
claims to novelties, and in so respecting the flower upon which he is
at work, and the great floral public, that he will tolerate neither in
himself nor others anything but honest aud meritorious work.

The time is now ripe for a generation of floral workers who are
neither amateur amusers of themselves, nor florists governed by a
fickle public, but men to set the standard and lay a scientific founda-
tion for the great future before us. I cannot blame our seedsmen

1894.] ESSAYS. 27

aud florists for not helping us in this matter. They tire at the mercy
of a fickle public. Somebody must call that fickle public to order.
A patron comes into a seed-house, and asks, " Have you such a vari-
ety of Sweet Peas?" If the seedsman disputes whether there be
such a variety he loses his customer. "Yes, we have it," and with a
mental reservation he lets it pass as a synonym, and deals out what
he thinks the customer ought to have. Years roll on, and that seed-
house lets that false name go into their list, and they know it ought
not to be there. I write them frequently in a courteous way, and
they thank me for what I am trying to do, and look on me as a
genuine friend, and I respect them. They want a genuine list of
names as much as we do, but somebody has got to protect them from
a fickle public, by giving that public to understand the truth of the
matter. And, again,, our seedsmen have to depend on the seed
growers. Where is there a seed-house that knows what the true
descriptions of varieties are? Their trial gardens are to see whether
their seed germinates. There is hardly a house in this countrj' that
can tell the names of one-half the Sweet Peas at sight. Tliey have a
thousand other flowers, and how can they know tliem all in all their
varieties? Aud yet it would be a pity if somebody in this country
did not know exactly the name and description of each one of a hun-
dred sorts. Somebody needs to stand between our reliable seedsmen
and the public ond mediate for them, and hasten the day when the
standard list of each popular flower shall be uuiform in our seed cata-
logues, so far as they keep the varieties in stock, and uniformly relia-
ble. The seedsman will go on doing the best he can, and the public
will go on suffering disappointment till a race of specialists grow up
to watch with impartial eyes the interests of all.

25th January, A. D. 1894.
ESSAY

BY

HOMER T. FULLER, Worcester, Mass.

TJieme: — Causes of and Remedies for the Non-Uniform Bearing of
Fruit Trees in successive years.

This topic was suggested before the writer had read the able and inter-
esting report of the Secretary of this Society — Worcester County
Horticultural, — for the year, 1892-93. Moreover it was suggested
for discussion with the hope that some one else, more competent than
the writer, would undertake its introduction. I can present only the
results of my own observation, very slightly supplemented by the
conclusions of others, except as touching the point presented by our
Secretary, since my engagements have prevented my thorough exami-
nation of the literature of the subject. I apprehend, however, that the
literature of the topic is meagre, and that scientific investigation of the
subject has scarcely begun. We now really know little more about it
than did Mr. Downing forty years ago. In the reports of the meet-
ings of the American Pomological Society I find allusions to it, but no
thorough discussion of the subject. Nor has the pomologist of the
National Department of Agriculture — a division of the work estab-
lished only six or seven years ago, — yet, apparently, amid the pressing
considerations of diseases of vines and citrus fruits, had time to give
to this important theme.

What are some of the facts which demand attention — which, indeed,
have received some attention, but which must yet have more thorough
investigation ?

1 . First, that certain regions of our country' which formerly pro-
duced abundant annual crops of some kinds of fruits now rarely pro-
duce any crop of these fruits. For example, on the southern shore of
Lake Erie in Chautauqua county, New York, and Erie county, Peuu-

1894.] ESSAYS. ' 29

sylvania, twenty to forty years or more ago, both the apple and the
peach were as certain crops as oats or barley ; now there are plenty of
thrifty trees, but rarely are they fruited. I have visited this region
almost every summer for thirty years, driven about a great deal and seen
plenty of evidence of the change. Everyone in the vicinity speaks of it.
It is not simply the decadence in vigor and fertility of old trees, but I
know an orchard of young apple-trees set out from thrifty nursery
stock eighteen or twenty years ago, on ground never before set to
fruit, and still as thrifty in appearance as any fruit trees could be, and
yet on a hundred trees together, on a fertile soil, I have not been able
in any of ten years to find a peck of apples.

I was told that the last summer a Baldwin apple could not be found
in Chautauqua county.

2. Secondly, in some regions there are fair crops of fruit three or
four years out of ten, and one year in ten the production may be
abundant, — the general tendency being to a decrease in production.

3. Thirdly, it is true that some years in large areas, extending over
many States, there is a general scarcity of some kinds of fruit, as this
year of apples all over the eastern and northern United States.

4. Fourthly, in some localities fruit-bearing is uniform unless pre-
vented by manifest or easily-explained causes — uniformity is the rule,
barrenness the rare exception. This is the case with oranges, guavas,
lemons, etc., in .Southern Florida, and with the same and other fruits
in Southern California, with oranges in Crete, figs in Smyrna, and
dates in Egypt.

o. Fifthly, it is also true that in a very restricted locality trees of
the same kind of fruit and of the same variety, planted at the same
time, under the same cultivation, both thrifty, bear very differently.

It is granted that each kind and each variety of the kinds of fruit
has, to a large extent, its peculiar habitat, or natural soil and climate.
And yet some fruits are very widely distributed, as the strawberry, the
cherry, and to a less extent the apple. Some fruits are limited more
by soil, others by temperature.

With these limitations, this paper has nothing to do. We cannot go
beyond the fact that strawberries do not fruit well on a heavy clay
soil, and the other fact that apples love clay and abhor sand ; that
neither fruit trees nor forest trees thrive where exposed to incessant
or frequent gales of wind, and that drought on the one hand and
excess of moisture on the other may ruin not only the product, but
often the tree itself.

Moreover, we all understand that freezing either the ovary or the

30 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

stamens of the flower, or the ripening fruit, will destroy^ or else very
greatly impair, the quality of the fruit. Tliese causes of unproduction
are, for the most part, irremediable ; we cannot fight against nature,
or so alter the courses of the stars.

But there are other causes of barrenness which may be remediable,
and others still which, if determinable, may be brought under the same
category, and this is the object of our discussion.

1. To begin with, it must be conceded that both Mr. Downing and
Mr. Lincoln are right when they attribute a considerable proportion of
a growing increase of non-production to the exhausting of certain
chemical or mineral components of the soil. Leaves and wood derive
their constituents chiefly from the atmosphere and from water, — not so
with flowers and fruit, — these tenderest parts must have more solid
nutriment, just as the more solid twigs and branches come from the
lighter and more tenuous chemical elements. The phosphorus and
nitrogen and lime and potash which have been depleted must be sup-
plied. The soil must be stirred that it may absorb oxygen, ammouia-
cal gases, and the water which carries them all in solution. The
success of Florida and California fruit-growing has been considerably
due to the fact that this culture has been the chief, I might say, the
only business of those who engage in it. Here at the East, it is gen-
erally a side-show, or, at best, a partial occupation. Nurseries are
cultivated and so are young trees for a half-dozen years, then there is,
just so soon as the trees begin to bear, a cessation of cultivation of
the soil. With neglect, there is a steady waning of production and,
what is more important, deterioration of the quality of fruit. Even in
California there is beginning of complaint on both scores. At River-
side, both packers and growers agree that the oranges are not so good
as they used to be, even in the best years, and that they are not sure
that they know what changes of their methods ai'e desirable : whether
nitrogen introduced by Chilian nitrates is needful, as Professor
Hilgard suggested, or whether they are irrigating too heavily, or prun-
ing too little.

2. The second cause of non-uniform production of fruit is undoubt-
edly overbearing in years when all the conditions for fruiting are
favorable. The tree which has carried a breaking or a bending burden
is like a man who has strained the muscles of his back, or the tendons
of his limbs. Months and even years may be required for recovery,
there may be needful an entirely new growth of wood before there can
be any considerable recurrence of fruitage.

Two remedies have been suggested and, to some extent, applied in

1894.] ESSAYS. 31

eountoraction of the tendenc}' to over-bearing, (a) The picking off
of blossoms or bnds. This is slow and expensive. Spraying to kill
the blossoms in part might be substituted. I have not known trials
of this. The copper solutions would undoubtedly accomplish it, but it
would require considerable skill to apply in due proportion. But the
real hindrance to this is the almost universal feeling that a bird in
hand is worth two in the bush, and that, we will get the most possible
this year and run our chances for the next. We may not live till next
year. It is too much a sacrifice of ourselves for posterity.

(b) Another remedy is pruning. This is a vexed question. Cali-
foruians do not prune orange-trees. They may yet wish they had done
it. There seems to be a tendency at present among pomologists to
discourage pruning of trees like apple, pear and cherry, except to cut
off dying or dead wood . My own impression is that we have in our
practice gone to extremes, — either have not pruned at all or too much
in one year. We may learn a lesson from the breaking down of trees
bj' the weight of clinging ice a few years ago. They recuperated won-
derfully, but the new shoots grew, so rapidly that they were tender,
and could not the next year bear much weight of fruit, neither mature
all that clung to them. If new shoots were pruned each year on the
same principle that we prune grape-vines — say so as to leave the new
wood only a few inches in length, I think it would be a decided advan-
tage. I have tried this with pears to some extent and with Clapp,
Bartlett, Beurre D'Anjou and Sheldon, found it useful. The tendency
of all these varieties is to throw out long shoots at the top of the tree,
especially if the trees are crowded, and then when these trees bear, be
it the first or the second year thereafter, they are too heavily laden.
A combination of pruning and deflowering might be wisely practiced.
Has anyone tried it systematically? I should like to know.

3. Drought in the early pairt of a season may prevent the develop-
ment of fruit, or drought in the midsummer may hinder the storing of
materials for the next year's crop. There is no question but irrigation
for all but the deepest-rooted trees in California and other western
States gives fruit growers in those regions an advantage. With water
at their command they can adapt its quantity to the needs of the crop
and thus secure a perfection in the development of fruit which in the
East it is not always possible to attain.

4. The fourth cause to be mentioned is variability of temperature
at the time of flowering. Frost at this time certainly ruins the pros-
pect of fruit. It may cut off the crop entirely, or it may result in a
crop of inferior quality, as in the case of oranges at Riverside, Call-

32 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

foruia, in 1891. But a low temperature, yet above freezing, continued
for days, or a sudden reduction of temperature, or changes througli a
wide range of temperature, may accomplish the same disastrous result.
For this cause as for the freezing there is no remedy except the shel-
ter of forests. These are planted in California to protect from cold
winds, and on the shores of our great lakes it is a grave question
whether this has not been one of the chief causes of the growing in-
fertility of the apple, the pear, the quince, the cherry and the peach.

5. A fifth cause of infertility is rain at the time of blossoming.
This falling at the maturity of the pollen washes it away, perhaps rots
or makes it worthless. Moreover, even if little rain falls, if there is
a condition of mist and cloud for several days, the result is the same —
the pollen does not mature, the dampness makes the union of pollen
and ovule fruitless.

Certain it is that in the West, where there is almost unbroken sun-
shine and little rain, fruit crops are surer than here, and except as
rarely affected by blight of frost, are practically uniform.

Rain also, prevents insects from visiting flowers and the fertiliza-
tion usually performed by such visitation does not take place. Many
authorities believe that the cherry is fertilized only by insects strew-
ing the pollen over the tops of the pistils. If this is true — of which
I have some doubts — then we have another factor indirectly hindering
the production of fruit.

If it were rain alone that washed away or rotted the pollen, younger
and smaller fruit trees might be protected from wet at the time of
blossoming by canvas protectors such as are used for hay-caps, but
for large apple-trees this plan would probably prove too expensive.
Moreover, if we are dependent on insects for fertilization, the shelter-
tent plan would prove ineffectual, since if the atmosphere be filled
with rain or mist, insects will not leave their shelters to visit the blos-
soms. And yet I have a strong impression that this question of fer-
tilization is a very important factor in the cultivation of fruits, and
that in some way the securing of fructification by artificial me.ins will
be a possible attainment. Can we not experiment in this direction ?

6. It is certainly pertinent to inquire in this connection whether
either too little or too much wind at the time of fruit-blossoming may
prevent fertilization. The point is one on which I can present but
very meagre data. I have two Beurre d'Anjou pear-trees, one of
which is sheltered by a line of higher trees on the north of it and
which rarely fruits, the other planted at the same time and almost
unsheltered bears fairly well almost every year. A sheltered Urban-

1894.] ESSAYS. 33

iste has borne only one good crop for ten years ; an unsheltered and
equally vigorous i)ear-tree of the same variety has borne at least a
fair crop each year since it came to bearing. These two instances are
hardly enough to support a theory : perhaps the suggestion may be
supplemented by the experience or observation of others.

Notes. [The discussion following this paper was interesting and
valuable. Two or three of the participants related accounts of their
success in securing nearly uniform bearing of apples and pears by
picking off a part of the blossoms when the tree seemed likely to
overbear.

Instances were also given of the change in the year of fruit-bearing
by the ruin of the crop by frost in the regular year of bearing.

The matter of too much wind or too little wind at the time of blos-
soming was thought to have little influence on fructification.

The following varieties of apples were mentioned as bearing only on
alternate years : Oldenburg, Baldwin, and Holden Pippin ; while the
Roxbury Russet, Palmer Greening, Rhode Island Greening, Early
Williams and Astrachan bear annually.

Apples grown in grass-ground have better keeping qualities, — they
mature later.]

1st February, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

GEORGE CRUIKSHANKS, Lunenburg, Mass.
Theme : — Small Fruits.

The culture of small fruits is a subject of great interest and worthy
the attention of all cultivators of the soil, and where the location and
soil are favorable there is money in small fruits for the man that is
fitted for the business. On almost every farm there may be found
soil suitable for their culture. To obtain the best results the laud
must be rich and in the best possible condition by deep ploughing and
heavy applications of good stable or farm-yard manure. It is im-
portant that the soil is in the best mechanical condition, so that the
roots of the young plants can penetrate the soil freely in search of
food. Success depends very largely on the man who undertakes the
culture of small fruits as a market crop ; he must have a taste for the
business, should know the character of his soil, and have some knowl-
edge of the use of fertilizers and their mode of application.

The first fruit of which I shall speak is the Straicherrii ; this is the
king of small fruits. The strawberry has been grown in the gardens
of the wealthy since the days of Shakespeare. Early in the present
century Keen's Seedling was produced in P^ugland ; this was the type
of all our present valuable varieties. The first improved American
variety was sent out by the late Charles M. Hovey. The introduction
of Hovey's Seedling created an interest in strawberry culture that has
continued till the present time. With new varieties came improved
methods of culture and a demand for more fruit, so that now it may
be said that all our people have their strawberries and cream in their
season. The strawberry adapts itself to a great variety of soils. The
soil best suited to its culture is a deep sandy loam with a naturally
moist subsoil. Such land, thoroughly prepared as advised, will pro-
duce good crops of fruit. For field culture the matted row is the
usual method ; for this, mark out rows with a marker three and a half
feet apart, plant from 12 to 20 inches in the row, according to the

1894.] ESSAYS. 35

variety ; set healthy, medium-sized plants ; it is important that the
soil be well firmed around the newly set plants. As soon as the
plants show signs of new growth begin to cultivate and hoe. Give
frequent cultivation during the season to prevent the growth of weeds ;
narrow the cultivator as the runners extend till they cover the desired
width. It should be remembered that you cannot grow a crop of
grass or weeds aud a crop of strawberries on the ground at the same
time. Clean culture is one of the secrets of success with the straw-
berry. After the ground has frozen in the Fall give a light mulch of
meadow hay, leaves from the forest, or pine needles. As soon as it
is safe In the spring to do so, remove the mulch from the earliest
varieties and let it remain on the late sorts as late as possible, so as
to retard the ripening of the fruit aud extend the season. I have
found an increase in the crop by removing the mulch a few rows at a
time; give a dressing of good fertilizer, cultivate lightly, and replace
the mulch to keep down weeds, preserve moisture, and keep the fruit
clean ; the result will be larger and finer fruit. When the plants have
matured a crop they are in an exhausted condition, and are iu a
dormant state ; if they are to be kept over to bear another crop the
mulch should be cleaned off at once, narrow the row a little, apply a
dressing of fertilizer, cultivate, and hoe out all weeds ; the plants will
soon send out a new set of feeding roots and at once begin to lay up
stores in the crowns for a crop the following season. Varieties :
Beder Wood, Haverland, Eureka, Bubach, Warfield, Leader. For
special culture : Parker, Earle, and Belmont. The Marshall for trial.

The Raspberry is a profitable fruit to grow for the market. When
of good quality it commands good prices. The raspberry succeeds
best in rather moist soil ; plant in rows six feet apart, three feet in
the row ; when planting cut off the cane to within six inches of the
ground. When the young calies have reached the height of two or
two and one-half feet nip out the top, this will cause the canes to
throw out laterals, these should be cut back to ten or twelve inches
the following Spring. Another method much practiced is to let them
grow at will all Summer, drive down stakes in the row, stretch a wire
each side to give them support ; after the fruiting season is over cut
out all the old wood and thin out the young canes if too thick, leav-
ing wood enough to bear a crop the following season, this will give
the bearing wood a better opportunity to ripen. Varieties : all things
considered, the Cuthbert stands at the head of the list, the Marlboro',
Thompson's Early, Prolific, and Golden Queen.

The Blackberry. Plant eight feet between the rows, three feet in

36 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

the rows ; the after treatment may be the same as the raspberry.
Varieties : Agawam, Snyder, Taylor.

The Currant is well worthy the attention of the small fruit grower,
the bush is pei'fectly hardy and productive, the fruit is applied to so
many uses it is always in demand. There is no fruit-bearing plant,
tree, or shrub that responds more quickly to good cultivation than
the currant ; like the strawberry it adapts itself to a great variety of
soils, but it succeeds best in a strong, deep, rich loam. Plant strong
two-year old plants, five feet apart each way — good crops of currants
can be grown in the partial shade of the orchard — the plants should
be well cut back when planted, prune annually, keep the head open
to admit air and sunlight. Unlike the strawberry, raspberry, and the
blackberry the currant can remain on the bushes sometime after it
is ripe, and by a proper selection of varieties may be kept well into
the Fall. Varieties : Cherry, Fay, Victoria, and White Grape.
Moore's Euby for trial.

The Black Currant is not grown to any extent in this country.
None of our small fruits yields so rich a jelly or has such medicinal
properties as the black currant. Being a native of Russia and
Siberia, it is among the hardiest of our fruit-bearing plants ; it is pro-
ductive, bears heavier crops than any of the other varieties. The
planting and after treatment may be the same as the red and white
sorts. Varieties : Black Naples and Lee's Prolific.

The Gooseberry is the finest green fruit that appears in our market,
of home growth, and is much sought after for cooking purposes ; it is
of easy culture, hardy, and productive. The gooseberry requires
cool, rich, moist soil, the planting and after treatment may be the
same as for the currant. I prefer the fall for planting all the bush
fruits, give a mulch of well rotted manure for the Winter, and they
will start with vigor in the spring. They are all benefited \Qxy much
by a mulch in the Summer; especially the currant and gooseberry
should be mulched heavy to keep the roots cool and moist. Varie-
ties : Downing and Houghton.

The critical time in the culture of small fruits, especially the straw-
berry, is when the fruit is swelling and approaching maturity. In
the absence of artificial irrigation I have found deep ploughing and
heavy manuring the best protection against drought. It should be
the ambition of every fruit-grower to produce the best, and only the
best that can be grown. Gather your crop carefully, grade and pack
honestly in clean, neat packages, put your crop on the market in the
most attractive form, and success will be yours.

8th February, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

ROBERT FARQUHAR, Boston, Mass.
Theme : Bulbs and Tubers.

I PROPOSE giving you some particulars of a recent visit to Holland and
the famous bulb gardens in and around Haarlem, and I shall endeavor
to describe the methods of cultivation practised by the leading Dutch
bulb growers. I shall not occupy your time with any remarks upon
our voyage across the ocean and the strange mixture of discomfort
and pleasure experienced by every passenger on an Atlantic steamer.
Suffice it to say that on the gray of a July morning we sighted the
Dutch coast. The land lay before us, flat and low, like a great green
sea on which the huge sails of numerous windmills seemed to take the
place of the sailing craft on the blue sea behind us. To reach Rotter-
dam we sailed up the river Maas several miles.

All along the sides of the river heavy stakes or trunks of trees are
driven about a foot apart to protect the banks. In many places strong-
willows are also worked in, basket fashion, as a further protection ;
the protruding tops of the stakes being the framework . On the banks
grow the dyke grass, the roots of which band themselves together
inseparably, holding the loose sandy soil in place. This grass is
planted on nearly all sea, river, and canal banks in the Netherlands.
Proceeding up the broad river numerous evidences of the patient in-
dustry of the people are presented. On either side the low, level fields
stretch for miles, intersected by ditches and canals. Everywhere the
cultivation seems almost perfect and the crops are exceedingly luxuri-
ant. Large herds of black and white cattle, numerous windmills, and
here and there a canal boat moving slowly along pleasantly relieve
what would otherwise be a very monotonous landscape. At length we
enter the harbor of Rotterdam, which, for Holland, is quite a large
and stirring city.
4

38 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

A walk through the principal streets of one of the large Dutch
cities is full of interest. As a rule wide canals occupy the centre of
all the main streets. These canals are the chief highways of the
country. They extend in connected systems all over the land, and
most of the produce is conveyed to the city markets by boats, on
which the owner and his family live a great part of the time. The
canals afford the boatmen almost as good an opportunity of selling
their products as our market streets do to our farmers. Once in the
city the boat is guided to its location, tied to a convenient stake, and
there it remains till its load is disposed of. Firewood and dried peat
in the form of bricks, for fuel, are brought from far back in the
country; also hay, vegetables, and fruit. A line of boats extends
along the canal sides, and purchasers, as they pass along, can tell
where to find what they want, by the little piles of merchandise placed
on the wharf or street opposite each boat. Vegetables are hawked
about the streets on two-wheeled hand-carts pushed before the owner.
One of the first sights which met our eyes after landing was a hand-
cart full of magnificent heads of cauliflower. The cart was in charge
of a woman who pushed it along in a very business-like fashion, but
her labors were very considerably lessened by the work of two large
dogs yoked to the axle.

It is a strange sight, but throughout Holland, particularly in the
country, women are seen taking a hand with men in many kinds of
out-door farm work, such as hoeing, weeding, ploughing, boat hauling,
and so forth. As a consequence they are strong and healthy in
appearance, but far less refined and intelligent than those occupying a
corresponding station in New England. Passing along towards the
suburbs we note everywhere the beautiful deep-green color of the grass
and foliage. Roses, pansies, geraniums, and yellow herbaceous cal-
ceolarias are seen in perfection of color in well-kept gardens. Among
vegetables we particularly note the excellence of the cauliflowers. It
is a sure crop in Holland ; the cool climate and a soil which is always
moist, but rarely or never too wet, seems to suit it exactly.

But Haarlem and its bulb gardens interest us chiefly at present, so
we leave the city with its quaint buildings and old churches. The
road over which we are driven is paved throughout with dressed stones.
The ever present canal runs alongside, wide enough for large boats to
pass on their way to and from town. One of these passes every now
and then laden with country produce, and is pulled along by a horse
walking on the roadway. Occasionally the owner or his wife does the

1894.] ESSAYS. 39

bauliuo-, as for iustauce at feediug time, when the Iiorse passes ou to
the boat and eujoys his hay aud a sail at the same time.

Wherever we look the landscape has the same level appearance, and
the soil is loose, sandy, and fine. We pass windmill after windmill,
each with four huge sails, often measuring oO feet from end to end.
These mills are used for a variety of purposes, such as grinding grain,
sawing timber, etc., but chiefly for pumping water from the small
ditches which drain the fields into the large canals. When completely
equipped with machinery they are quite costly. Standing on the road
we counted 25 in sight at one time. Farming is the chief occupation
of the country people, and grass the principal crop raised. The
implements and tools in use are very clumsy and heavy, and as we see
the farmers at work, moving leisurely about in their great wooden clogs
or shoes, we wonder how they can keep their farms in such excellent
condition as is almost uniformly seen.

The district in which bulb growing is carried on is of comparately
small area. The ancient town of Haarlem is its centre. It is a very
quiet old place, with many buildings of curious architecture. Many
of the bulb merchants have business oflSces in Haarlem, but the grounds
where most of the bulbs are grown are several miles out of the town.
One class of merchants own extensive and valuable gardens aud grow
the bulbs they sell, or make contracts with raisers for them. We find
also in Haarlem another class of dealers who issue catalogues, but
who grow few or no bulbs and own no gardens. These pick up their
bulbs where they can get them cheapest ; sometimes at public sales ;
at other times of country farmers who make a business of raising.
Large quantities of their bulbs annually reach this country, as the
price lists are well gotten up and circulated widely among dealers.
Bulbs can be purchased of this class of dealers at a low price, aud
often give as good satisfaction as those from growers, but they are
not to be relied upon. Even by a visit to Haarlem one is not always
sure of getting the bulbs shown unless he knows the grower to be
reliable. We know one gentleman who, visiting Holland at the sea-
sou of flowering, was invited by a Haarlem dealer to ride out aud see
his tulips. He went aud was delighted. The flowers were all that
could be desired. A day or two afterwards he was with another dealer
who invited him to visit his bulb gardens a short distance out of town.
Fancy his astonishment when he was driven to see the same tulip
grounds which he had been shown by the first dealer ! The fact was
that neither of the two owned them. They were the property of an
old Dutch gardener who sold his crop to the local dealer who would

40 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

pa}^ the highest price. He of course well knew the inwardness of these
visits, but it was for his interest to say nothing.

Many of these farmers raise more bulbs than some dealers who issue
catalogues, but from want of enterprise or lack of education have had
to depend upon their home markets. They have confined themselves to
raising a few leading varieties, usually of hyacinths or tulips. Educa-
tion and a knowledge of English have of late become more general,
and, consequently, in the past ten years, many of those who grew for
the Dutch houses are offering their bulbs in the American and English
markets. This lively competition has caused a great decline in prices,
much to the annoyance of the wealthy old planters, who for many
years reaped a rich harvest of golden guilders unmolested in their
monopoly. It must be acknowledged that they still have advantages
in the business. They own the land best suited for raising the various
kinds. Most of them are wealthy, and growing in immense quantities
they can afford to send older and better bulbs than mere speculators.
The gardens now cultivated by the best growers we met with in Holland
have been owned by members of the same family for many years, in
some cases nearly two centuries.

Pardon a word of caution here to any who may think of visiting
Holland at some time to purchase. When you get to Haarlem do not
disclose your business to the first dealer you meet. If you buj^ largely
he will exert himself to the utmost to interest you. He will show you
how bulbs are propagated, cultivated, and cared for through all the
stages of their growth. After one whole day spent at his residence,
gardens, and storehouses, his carriage will be at your hotel the next,
before you are up, to take you to see some of the sights, which he
informs you no one ever misses who has time to enjoy them. In
short, if he wants you for a customer, he is pretty sure to monopolize
all your time so that no rival dealer gets a chance at you. When in
Holland we visited a number of the leading gentlemen engaged in
bulb growing. They are, indeed, a fine class of men and as unlike
the Dutchman of our picture books as can be. Nearly all were gentle-
men of wealth, education, and refinement, who seemed to enjoy life to
the full. They own large and fine residences and are very hospitable.

The bulb gardens of the large growers are all of the same general
appearance. Fancy a field from 15 to 25 acres in extent, perfectly
level, but cut up by ditches and wider canals into numerous rectangular
patches. Every 200 yards or so we cross a canal large enough to float
a boat, the bridge over which we pass being raised to allow boats go
to and from the fields. These canals are met at right angles by

1894.] ESSAYS. 41

smaller ditches, 40 or 50 yards apart, which are so narrow that one can
step across. As there is always water in these the fields never get very
dry, but the soil being exceedingly porous and sandy surplus water
rapidl}' drains off. Only in seasons when heavy rains occur late in
Spring are the bulbs likely to suffer from too much moisture ; they
will then ripen very late and, being soft, keep and ship poorly.

Tliese canals usually connect with the nearest commercial canal
system, and the plan of their arrangement is such that manure can be
carried to all the fields from the barns, and bulbs and other crops to
the various stores or bulb magazines, in boats. The surface of the
fields is about two feet above the water in the canals and ditches.

At each end of the large plats are holes, in which barnyard or cow
manure is left to rot in readiness for digging. It is brought from the
yards in boats and pitched direct into the holes. It is distributed
over the fields from carts with very broad wheels, before digging time.
All the manure used in the bulb ground is old, thoroughly decom-
posed, and fine. The soil is so very light and free from stones that a
great deal of the work of planting and lifting is done by hand, with-
out the use of tools. One of the workmen usually accompanied us as
we examined the bulbs, and frequently scooped out with his hand in a
moment a row of a dozen or more hyacinths planted four inches deep.
The soil is in fact a fine sand ; evidently stream deposits. It is
enriched with liberal quantities of old manure. The light colored, fine,
sandy soils are best suited for the cultivation of hyacinths, tulips,
crocuses, and narcissi. Spireas, dielytras, lilies of the valley, and
others of that class require the darker, heavier soil, also found in the
vicinity of Haarlem. In order to secure healthy bulbs it is found
necessary to alternate crops. Thus hyacinths are usually followed by
a crop of potatoes, these by a crop of tulips, then potatoes again, fol-
lowed by narcissi or crocuses. The fine roots of the potato, decaying
in the soil, leave there a uecessai-y element of bulb food. All work
of these gardens is done neatly and systematically. The bulbs are
usually planted in beds of an exact width, the lines containing exactly
the same number of bulbs. Almost invariably the whole establish-
ment bears a well cared for appearance. From early Summer till
Autumn work is begun daily at about five in the morning and ceases
about seven at night. Women and men are employed in about equal
numbers. A dining-hall is a feature of every large establishment. To
it all hands repair four times daily to partake of coffee and other drinks
provided by the employer, the work people bringing their own lunch
baskets. Suflacient time is allowed at meals, and I cannot remember

42 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

seeing anybody niakiug much haste at any time daring our visit, hut
none were idle, and the work people appeared happy. Most of them
live in cottages in the gardens, each with a neat garden adjoining.

The magazines for storing marketable bulbs are situated by the sides
of the canals, and are usually erected alongside of each other and con-
nected by broad passage ways. One of the best arranged we visited
had light rails along the passages, on which hand trucks large enough
to hold about three barrels full could be driven easily by hand to any
part of the buildings. Thus as the boats arrived from the grounds the
baskets of cleaned bulbs were lifted from the boats on to the trucks,
which when loaded are pushed along the rails to the place where they
are to lie till packed for shipment. Sorted hyacinths are all kept in
one section, laid in regular rows, one deep on the shelves, which are
about seven inches apart. Tulips will be found in another section,
doable and single varieties being in different parts. Other leading
species of bulbs, such as narcissi, scillas, crocuses, etc., are in
their allotted section. All are carefully named and labelled ; the
varieties of the species being kept distinct by means of movable blocks
of wood. All other bulbs with dry roots are stored before shipment
in a similar manner.

We shall now endeavor to describe somewhat minutely the manner
in which one or two of the leading species are propagated and culti-
vated. We select the hyacinth as being particularly interesting, and
also on account of its great value as a decorative plant at a season
when other flowers are not over plentiful. In Holland this flower is
grown entirely in sand as fine as meal, old decomposed cow manure in
liberal quantity being placed underneath or mixed with the soil before
the bulbs are set out. The peculiarities of the soil and climate of
Holland are more favorable to their production than any other section.
The original of the Dutch hyacinth, Hyacintlms orientalis, is a very
insignificant plant, bearing on a spike a few small, pale blue, single
flowers. From this small beginning, as cultivated more than 300
years ago, we have, to-day, over 500 varieties of nearly every color,
many of them charmingly beautiful and nearly all of easy cultivation.
We have a record of the existence of six single varieties in the year
1597. Towards the close of the seventeenth century double flowering
sorts began to appear, and for many years the double form was most
esteemed. In 1754 an English writer described upwards of 50 single
varieties and 90 double. At that date favorite sorts were sold at
extravagant prices. One white variety, La Reine des Femmes, sold
for 50 guilders a bulb on its flrst appearance. A double blue, Over-

1894.] ESSAYS. 43

■wiuuer, then cost 100 guilders a bulb, while another, Gloria Mundi,
cost 500 guilders, equal to $200 of our money, but, as values were at
that time, much more relatively. These prices are taken from a
Dutch grower's catalogue of 1754, and are not ligures from fancy. In
1755 we have the first record of their being grown in glasses.

Of late years single flowered sorts have been most popular, and few
will question the justice of the preference. In some of the newer
varieties a great improvement has been attained in the size of the
individual flowers, the breadth of their lobes, and in brilliancy and
depth of color.

New varieties are produced from the seeds of fertilized flowers.
Clear colors are selected for crossing. The seed is sown in August,
sometimes in pots, but generally in specially prepared beds, in which
the growth and strength of the new plants are greatly promoted . The
seed beds are protected by straw during Winter and the plants show
themselves in early Spring. The bulblets are lifted about midsummer,
placed under cover and allowed to dry off with the leaves on. In
September they are replanted in poor, sandy soil, underneath which is
put a foot of the richest material possible, consisting of cow dung,
river mud, and sand. The Dutch growers are particular not to allow
any manure to touch the bulbs. They rest in clear, sharp sand, with
which they are also covered. This treatment results in the bulbs pro-
duced being shapely, clean and hard skinned. The sand also serves
to protect the bulbs from the attacks of insects ; its sharpness hinders
their approach. It may be well for us to remember this fact in plant-
ing other bulbs besides hyacinths and tulips. Hyacinths usually
bloom at four years from seed, but a five years old bulb gives better
and stronger flowers.

The great bulk of hyacinths are grown from offsets or small bulblets
obtained by cutting large bulbs and growing them one year. Several
methods are in practice for obtaining these offsets. In the case of
old, well known sorts, for which there is a sure demand yearly, the
old bulbs are cut so as to produce the largest bulblets the first year.
If the variety to be propagated is rare and costly the bulbs are cut so
as to produce the greatest number of bulblets. These last will be so
small that they must be grown five or six years before they are of
marketable size. The method commonly practised is to cut the old
bulbs twice at the base. This is done in June or July. The bulbs
are then laid on shelves, where the sections cut, partly open and in
five or six weeks a small bulblet will be found formed at each scale
where cut. The mother bulbs are planted in September, about seven

44 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

inches deep, to be lifted early iu the following Summer. They throw
up a few stray leaves only, all their strength going into the bulblets.
Bulbs so propagated are fit to sell in four years ; they are then at
theu' best and will deteriorate afterwards, becoming divided and
entirely useless for sale.

There are two methods of cutting practised to obtain a great number
of bulbs from one. Some scoop out the whole of the base of the old
bulbs and so attain their object. Others cut the bulbs in two or three
pieces and get an enormous numl^er of very small bulbs, which will
not be at their best till grown up six years.

Hyacinth culture in Holland is by no means a pastime. They
require great care at every stage, particularly those which are to be
sold in the Fall. These when lifted from the ground are laid, with
roots and leaves still on, on shelves and covered with dry sand for
about ten days. This care is necessary to give the bulbs that fine,
clean appearance and thorough ripeness and solidity which is desira-
ble. They are then cleaned and carried in padded baskets to their
place in the magazine. There they must be watched and cared for,
dry rot or other disease often attacking them, particularly after a wet
Spring. Most of the hyacinths leave Holland in August. They are
shipped in immense numbers to Russia, Germany, France, America,
and England. On account of the laws regarding phylloxera, none are
admitted into either Italy or Spain. In England they are very popu-
lar as window plants. One grower for Covent Garden Market last
year planted 50,000 bulbs. With the people here they are sure to be
popular, when it becomes generally known that little skill is required
in their cultivation, if supplied with plenty of water and fresh, cool air.

Hyacinths in Holland are never allowed to freeze in the beds dur-
ing Winter. They are covered with straw to the depth of six inches
and keep rooting all Winter. The climate is, of course, much milder
than ours, 20 degrees of frost being considered Siberian weather.

With tulips, as with hyacinths, new varieties are obtained from
seed. Selfs of the purest color are used for crossing, and only those
of the most perfect form of flower.

All the varieties of tulips in commerce are increased by offsets. A
number of these are usually found at the base of each mature bulb
after flowering, also one or two large flowering bulbs. These flower-
ing bulbs lie close to the stem and are usually marked by it. In this
way one can almost certainly distinguish flowering bulbs. Tulips are
lifted from the bed as soon as their leaves turn yellow. If allowed to
stand longer the bulbs get soft and the skins come off. Under some

1894.] ESSAYS. 45

circumstances it is necessary to lift them before tlie leaves turn.
There is no danger of injury to the bulbs when lifted soon after the
petals drop, if properly done. They are removed to some perfectly
dry shed and covered with earth for eight or ten days. At the expira-
tion of that time they will luive ripened fully, the leaves and roots
will have become dry and the bulbs ready to clean and store.

In Holland, when it is desired to produce blooms of the greatest
excellence for exhibition, great care is given to the preparation of the
beds. The natural earth is removed to the depth of 18 inches; six
inches in depth of manure is first put in and the bed is then filled with
a mixture of old manure, loam, and sand which has been turned fre-
quently in sunny weather to kill the worms. Sifted sand surrounds
the bulbs, which are planted in October four inches deep. Before
being set the skin is slightly raised from the base of the bulbs to per-
mit the roots to escape more freely. As the season of flowering
approaches a raised covering is put over the beds so that the flowers
are protected from injury by rain and direct sunlight. In this way
they are made to last in bloom as long as a carnation, and their size
and color are enhanced and intensified. The history of the tulip is an
interesting one, and although the time is long ago past when fortunes
were spent in the purchase of a few coveted bulbs, their real beauty
and w'orth have never been more generally acknowledged than at the
present time.

Much might be added of interest regarding the cultivation of the
narcissus, crocus, lily, and other bulbs in Holland, if time permitted,
l)ut the varieties described must sufHce at this time, and I hope some
of the remarks may have proved of interest.

nth February, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

E. I. COMINS, Worcester, Mass.
Theme : — Parks at Home and Abroad.

Boston hfis long been a noted city, not only of our own State but of
the United States. Few things have given it a wider reputation than
its magnificent "Common" of 50 acres, set apart by the wisdom of
the early settlers and planted with trees. It has been the pride of
Bostonians these many years, and now, while younger cities have set
apart larger tracts and lavishly expended money in improving and
beautifying them, Boston Common, with the addition of the "Public
Garden," holds no mean place when compared with the parks of
other cities. There can be no more delightful stroll on an early
summer morning than from Beacon Hill to Copley Square through
the Public Grounds.

In 1892 the Legislature of Massachusetts established a Parks Com-
mission, to make provision for the future of Boston and its growing
suburbs, and in securing about 4,000 acres in one body, embracing
the region known as the Blue Hills of Milton, there can be no ques-
tion but that they have acted wisely. .When the barren spots shall
have 1>een planted with trees and shrubs, and walks shall have been
constructed through all parts, and mother nature has had her way for
a few years, assisted by man, this will become one of the grandest
parks in the country. The poet, the artist, the lover of nature, who-
ever he may be, will here find satisfaction to his soul.

Until New York had its Central Park the metropolis of the United
States had nothing to compare with Boston Common, but these 840
acres, upon which mints of money have been expended, have become
one of the leading parks in the country, and no visitor to Manhattan
Island fails to spend at least one day among the riches of nature and
art there exhibited.

1894.] ESSAYS. 47

Fainuouut Park of Philadelphia, containing nearly 3,000 acres, bor-
dering two rivers, has natural advantages which are rarely excelled ;
adding to these the development and beautifying of many years, to-
gether with the fact that the great exposition of 1876 was located here,
and Fairmount becomes national in its character. A writer says of
it, "I have seen almost all the European parks of the great cities and
there is not one that for original beauty can compare with Fairmount."

But "Westward the course of empire takes its way," and beside
the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan stands the city that for a
quarter of a century has been the wonder of the nation, and now is
the wouder of the world. The years compassed by many of us have
witnessed its entire growth. Not the least among its wonders are its
parks, of which it has more than 2,000 acres. Jackson Park has
become identified with the history of the world. To blot out the
memory of it would efface from hundreds of thousands the one
greatest event of their lives. But of this time forbids me to speak,
and besides many of you saw it and the marvels it contained.

Scarcely a mile west of Jackson Park is' Washington Park; in
some respects perhaps it is unrivalled in the world. Certainly, in a
somewhat extended trip through older countries, I saw nothing equal
to the artistic effects produced with flowers and foliage plants in this
park, and no hour spent at the Columbian Exposition was more
thoroughly enjoyed than the hour at Washington Park. These
artistic displays are said to be annually repeated with new designs
and new beauty, so that the visitor to Chicago in 1894 will see as
great beauty in this park, from June to October, as was seen in 180.3.

Another notable park in Chicago is one named -in honor of our
martyred President, and situated in the northern part of the city, on
the lake front. Lincoln Park contains 250 acres, beautifully laid out
and ornamented, and is particularly noted for several fine works of
art, one of which, the statue of Lincoln by St.. Gaudens, is pro-
nounced by some to be one of the finest pieces of modern sculpture
in the world.

In our eastern or western cities it is comparatively easy to pro-
duce trees, shrubs, aud flowers with the skill and labor money will
command, but to reclaim a sandy, barren waste, where absolutely
nothing grows, and where the winds of heaven drive hither and yon
great banks of sand, as the winter's snows are driven over our New
England hills, is quite another thing. Such, a few years since, was
the condition of a large tract lying between San Francisco and the
Pacific. This territory is some three or four miles in length and one-

48 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

half to three-fourths of a mile in width, containing over 1,000 acres.
On much of it absolutely nothing formerly grew, as every changing
wind produced a corresponding change in the surface. On other
portions, less subject to change, there was a low growth of the poison
oak, and perhaps other undesirable vegetation. Between this tract
and the Pacific is a range of hills which protect it from chilling sea
breezes.

"Beyoud the town, the bushy mounds between,
Roll drifts of yellow, wrinkled sand —
Uncrested waves, that dash against the green,
Like ocean billows 'gainst the land."

The barren portion was first planted with wild lupine and a Euro-
pean sea beach grass, Ariindo arenaria, to hold the surface from
blowing about ; then a species of pine and certain shrubs were set
and watered, until their roots took possession of the surface and their
tops furnished shade, giving other vegetation needed protection.
Thus this unpromising tract has been conquered with all the strata-
gem of war. Its surface now gives no indication that immediately
beneath the velvet lawns and flower beds, such as California alone
can produce, there is nothing but sand. More than 100,000 trees of
many species have been set, and the growth of a few years is simply
astonishing. It is claimed there is now a greater variety of vegetable
life here than in any other park in America. The situation of this
park is perhaps unequalled for a climate peculiarly adapted for a
great variety of plant life, as in the summer its contiguity to the
ocean brings cool breezes therefrom, and in the winter the Japanese
current brings the warm water of the ocean to these shores, softening
the breezes as they are wafted upon the land, so that in the park it
never freezes and is never sweltering. In the park, miles of the finest
drives have been constructed ; these are kept constantly watered and
speed is regulated, except on one stretch of 6,000 feet, where Jehu is
allowed full liberty. Several monuments have been erected here in
memory of men of note ; the finest of these is one erected to the
memory of Francis Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled Banner,
the late James Lick having left by will $60,000 for that purpose.
This beautiful Golden Gate Park lies about four miles from the busi-
ness portion of the city and is connected therewith by fine lines of
street cars. Many thousands often visit it in a day, and find here a
most charming spot for recreation, as there is nothing but beauty for
the eye, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons a large band discourses
the sweetest music for the ear. In fact, this park, with its drives,

181>4.] ESSAYS. 49

walks, maguiliccnt flowers, its finely kept conservatories, music, and
other attractions, is almost worth a journey across the continent,
especially at the present time, as it is the seat of the California Mid-
AVinter Exposition.

I am not unmindful of the parks of Baltimore and Washington,
with their wealth of beauty and art, nor many other American parks
which do honor to the cities where located and to our nation. To our
own city and the work done in beautifying it and educating our people
to become lovers of nature and co-workers with her in beautifying our
homes and our landscapes, I propose to refer later.

Saturday, July 2, 1892, with others I landed at Queenstown and,
as the sun was sinking behind the western hills, we went by rail up
the valley of the Lee, eleven miles, to the city of Cork. Never was
scenery more beautiful.

To us, just escaped from the restraints of a crowded vessel, old
Ireland seemed like one great park, and two days later, as we journeyed
137 miles by rail, to Dublin, with flag, horn, and fire-crackers, giving
the sons of P^rin, who stood with mouths gaping wide, a faint idea
of an American Fourth of July, we did not see much reason for
changing our opinion. We were on the Emerald Isle and nature had
done her part in making everything beautiful. I must add here, for
the benefit of this society, that in Ireland we found the finest and
sweetest strawberries we had ever seen. They were placed on the
table without having the hull removed, and were eaten without sugar
or cream; they were simply delicious.

In Dublin we visited Pha3nix Park, which contains 1,750 acres, is
beautifully laid out in drives and walks, shaded by luxuriant trees,
and has several costly monumental piles, though the finest monuments
in Dublin are generally located in the public squares. Lord Caven-
dish, Chief Secretary of Ireland, was murdered in this park. May 6,
1882, the day of his arrival in Dublin. The spot where he was slain
is marked, and we felt an interest even in that, as a few days later we
were to visit the beautiful estate at Chatsworth owned by the Duke of
Devonshire, his brother, and the churchyard where his ashes were
deposited.

Dr. Walsh, who travelled extensively in Europe, says of Phoenix
Park, — " Viewing all the particulars which should distinguish a
place set apart for public recreation, Pha'nis Park, on the whole, would
not suffer in comparison with any other in Europe."

The Wellington testimonial, a huge monumental pile near the
entrance to the Park, the total height of which is 205 feet, with a

50 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

very broad base, struck me as having a certain beauty and grandeur
in its massiveness, but it is spoken of by a writer much more capable
of judging than myself as follows, — " It is an ungainly and ungrace-
ful example of bad taste as the kingdom could supply."

A few days later, after passing the great natural parks, including
Loch Lomond, Loch Katrine, and the Trossachs, we stood on Stirling
Castle as the sun was sinking in the west and saw one of the most
magnificent views possible for the eye to look upon. It was not a park
as we use the term, but nature and man had combined to produce the
effect. Mountain, hill, valley, castle, and monument, green fields
and hedges, and even the fields of Bannockburn lay spread out before
us. No wonder Victoria said, as she stood on the battlements and
cast her eye over the beauty that lay spread out before her, "It is the
fairest scene in all my realm."

We enter England; its green meadows, winding rivers, well-
trimmed hedges, beautiful oaks, elms, and other deciduous trees, now
rich in foliage, all combine to please the traveller.

The Duke of Devonshire is one of the richest men in England,
having the inherited wealth of many generations. He is the owner of
Chatsworth, where he spends a few weeks each year, but he kindly
allows his palace and grounds to be enjoyed by the public, with only
a few necessary restrictions. The palace, for it is nothing less, is in
the midst of a beatiful park of 1,200 acres, on both sides the river
"Wye. In the luxuriant green meadows, dotted here and there by grand
old trees that spread their giant arms, rich with foliage, to shade the
quiet herds of cows and fallow deer so peacefully reclining beneath
their shade, we had a scene worthy the finest landscape painter who
ever drew the brush. The palace, through which we were kindly
shown, is one of the finest in Europe. It is filled with the choicest
works of art. The gardens outside are in keeping with everything
else. The conservatory was planned and constructed by the wisdom
of Sir Joseph Paxton, afterwards the architect of the celebrated
Crystal Palace at Hyde Park, in which was held the great world's
exhibition of 1851. The conservatory covers onlj^ about one acre of
ground, but it contains some of the finest specimens of choice exotics
from all the warmer countries of the world. The appliances for heat-
ing are said to be so arranged that each species flourishes in its own
temperature without intervening partitions. The building contains
seven miles of six-inch piping, chiefly used for heatiug purposes.
Outside are some vei'y fine fountains, one of which, named the
"Emperor," in honor of Nicholas I. of Russia, who once visited the

1894.] ESSAYS. 51

Duke, is said to be the finest iu the workl. The day we were there
the mother :iud sister of the Duke were visiting him, and all the
waterfalls and fountains were playing in honor of the event.

There are special gardens of great beauty, the Oriental garden, tiie
Italian garden, and the French garden, each with some peculiar feat-
ures, all highly ornamented with works of art as well as by their
beautiful and varied vegetation. In the orangery are splendid speci-
mens of camellias, oranges, and rhododendrons; one of the latter,
imported from Nepaul, has been known to have 2,000 blooms on it at
one time.

From time to time this beautiful place has been visited by emperors,
kings, and princes, fi'om many countries, and some of the trees here
growing were planted by royal hands.

Groups of statuary by noted sculptors adorn the grounds, and all
that genius and wealth can procure have been gathered for these
many years, until there is profusion seldom equalled, and all freely
opened for a party of Americans to enjoy. Surely the courtesy of
the Duke is commensurate with his wealth.

Before leaving this subject I must speak of the beautiful village of
Edensor, called the " model village," situated within the park and
occupied by the dwellings of the employes of the Duke. The houses
are all neatly built and the grounds are adorned with shrubs and
flowers. A tasty gothic church, with its spire pointing heavenward,
adorns the green, and in the churchyard is the tomb of the late Duke
of Devonshire and also that of Lord Frederick Cavendish, who was
assassinated in Pha?nix Park, as before noted.

In one of our trips we stopped at Stoke Fogis and visited the
churchyard immortalized by Gray's Elegy. This really is within an
immense park, iu which the red deer were quietly grazing with no fear
of man as an enemy. The walk from the highway through the
churchyard to the church was lined on either side with the most
beautiful roses we had ever seen in such quantities. They were of all
colors and of immense size. In the yard were those " rugged elms"
and "that yew tree's shade"; there, too, were "• those mouldering
heaps," and that "ivy mantled tower" still, perhaps, furnishes a
resting place for the " moping owl." Doubtless, too, as the sun sank
in the west, "the lowing herd came winding o'er the lea."

London has some famous parks and is somewhat famous for its
parks. What w^ould that immense city do were it not for these
" breathing places ! " How did it come to have so many? Royalty,
wealth, and the Church have all contributed, either directly or indirect-

52 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

ly. Some of these tracts were formerly large preserves for game,
where only royalty and wealth were allowed to roam and hunt. Hyde
Park was once the property of a monastery and, if I remember right,
was confiscated, and after many changes became public property.

St. James Park, once an uninviting tangle of wood and marsh, was
given up to a community of lepers, not being considered suitable for
anything else. Other parks, by the law of primogeniture, remained
intact in the hands of one family for many years until wanted for
park purposes.

But even London now needs more parks. One writer says, "Still
as we well know, in the outskirts, those working men who love a
country walk, turning up some narrow way can find a few fields to
wander over ; there you may see them on Saturday or Sunday with
their sturdier children or perhaps with wife and baby too, taking a
happy stroll ; the little ones with pleasure gathering buttercups or
running merrily on the grass." ''Year by year these walks are turned
into 40-foot streets, houses come, and the walks are gone." Surely,
here is a lesson for each generation in Worcester.

For many years the monks held undisturbed possession of Hyde
Park. After it became public, armies took possession of it during the
civil wars, once so destructive in England, were reviewed in it, and
marched through it on their way to the conflict. Later wealth and
its votaries monopolized it; but now, in the process of evolution
going on in society, it has become the grand resort of all classes, and
armies of the common people, men, women, and children, flock thither
daily in pleasant weather, especially on holiday occasions. One says
of it, "With fine expanse of grass, its bright flower-beds, and clumps
of shrubbery, its noble old trees, its beautiful ornamented lake, the
Serpentine, its broad avenues crowded with equipages, its Rotten Row
'[Route en Eoi, way of the king] alive with equestrians, its walks
lined with thousands of loungers of various nationalities, professions,
and grades of social position, Hyde Park, in the height of the season
presents a scene which, in the brilliancy of its tout ensemble, and its
peculiarly mingled contrasts can probably be paralleled nowhere else."

Adjoining Hyde Park are the Kensington Gardens, comprising
some 600 acres, more thickly planted than Hyde Park, and contain-
ing avenues of rare plants and flowering shrubs. In these gardens
are found many aged and venerable trees, giving, in some portions,
the appearance of the last century.

Kew with its gardens and glass houses, some six or seven miles
from Charing Cross, has many attractions. A French writer says,

1894.] ESSAYS. 53

" It is the finest botanic garden in tlie world." A large part of the
plants here raised have to be grown wholly or partially under glass,
hence there are many houses for this purpose, some of them very
large, aud one, the Palm House, is of itself a Winter Garden. In
this house the problem of modifying and regulating the heat rays of
the sun seems to have been solved by the use of colored glass.
These grounds are free to the public and are largely frequented by
the middle classes.

Regent's Park contains 470 acres and was used in Elizabeth's time
as a huntiug ground. It contains at the present time the gardens of
the Zoiilogical Society and those of the Royal Botanic Society. The
hxtter holds meetings of great interest, for reading papers and dis-
cussing subjects connected .with botany and kindred matters. Their
gardens contain about 18 acres, in which are 4,000 or 5,000 species
of hardy herbaceous plants flourishing in open air, and glass houses
containing about 3,000 more. In May, June, and July floral exhibi-
tions take place, and 3,000 medals are distributed, ranging in value
from a few shilliugs to £20 each. One thousand pounds are annually
spent in encouraging the growth and acclimation of rare plants. The
Zoological Gardens contain one of tl^e best collections of animated
nature in the world. The individuals of this collection are kei)t
under their native conditions as far as possible.

Besides the London parks already mentioned are many others,
generally smaller than those mentioned, the whole within the Metro-
politan District embracing over 3,000 acres.

Hampton Court Palace and grounds connected therewith, situated
some 12 miles up the Thames from Hyde Park, are of great interest.
In the court the grass is kept so as to make a perfect velvet lawn,
and in this lawn designs are cut and filled with blooming plants, the
tuberous begonias being used to perfection. Adjoining these grounds
is Bushy Park, with its celebrated avenue, more than a mile in length,
200 yards in breadth, and lined on either side with five rows of
magnificent horse chestnuts, very tall and rich in foliage. The horse
chestnut seems to be a favorite shade tree, both ra England and
France, evidently growing with much more luxuriance than in New
P^ngland. Near the palace is the celebrated "Maze," a labyrinth of
walks bordered with shrubbery and flowers, and if one attempts to
"thread" it he is very likely to seek aid that he may find his way out.

England, with its moist climate, is peculiarly adapted to the growth
and maintenance of beautiful public and private grounds, and the
tastes of the people, cultivated for many generations, lead them to

54 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

make the most of their advantages. Go where you may you see that
nature and man have united to give beauty to the little garden patch,
the broad field, the extensive park, and the grounds of wealth and
royalty.

We go across the Channel into France and there is a change. You
see the little cluster of cottages, with their red roofs huddled together
with a church spire shooting up from their midst, always neat and
tidy ; but the broad acres do not have that park-like appearance we
saw in England. Each peasant here, as a rule, tills his own acres,
which are few, and the support of himself and family depends upon
the number of francs he can realize from his toil, while in England
the broad meadows belong to the landlord, whose wealth enables him
to devote much to the beauty of the landscape. How fortunate it is
that the eyes of the poor are as good as those of the rich, and they
can drink in and enjoy in a great measure what the selfish heart might
be glad to reserve for itself.

When Napoleon III. was on the throne of France he determined to
add the charms of an English park to the attractions of Paris. The
result may be seen in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. The territory
occupied by these gardens was formerly a forest, to which little had
been done by the hand of man ; but a great transformation took
place. All that the skill of man could suggest, with unbounded
wealth, has developed this tract into the finest public grounds of the
finest city in the world. It is related of Mahomet that, journeying
towards Damascus, he came in sight of the city and stopped, refus-
ing to go forward, saying, "It is given man to enter but one paradise
and if he enter one on earth he can never enter heaven." In going
through the Bois dc Boulogne one can feel the goMen streets of the
New Jerusalem can hardly be finer than this. The entire area of this
park is said to be 2,158 acres, one-fourth of which is turf, one-half
woods, 70 acres of water, and the balance shrubbery and fiowers.
Here are found the gardens of the Acclimatization Society, with their
menageries, conservatories, and aquariums, all of which are largely
visited by the populace seeking pleasure. A striking feature of the
Boulogne is the grouping of vegetation for effect, by placing in one
place conifers, in another magnolias, and so on, rather than attempt-
ing to make all points beautiful by mixing varieties. Some one says,
"As a combination of wild wood and noble pleasure gardens the Bois
is magnificent." So it is ; and many other squares, gardens, and parks
in Paris are magnificent, but in extent they are comparatively small.

The Luxembourge Conservatories are rich in rare plants, and in

1894.] ESSAYS. 55

tlie gardens classes are held for the study of gardening, fruit-tree
pruning, etc., thus teaching practical horticulture.

The grounds of the Jardin des Plantes, which is a scientific insti-
tution, occupy about 75 acres, are open to the public, and are filled
with rare plants. Here is found a museum of natural history, with its
zoological gardens, its hot-houses and green-houses, its nursery and
naturalization gardens, its collections for illustrating zoology, anato-
my, botany, mineralogy, and geology. Its courses of lectures, by
the most distinguished men of science, make it an institution of great
eminence.

We cannot leave these foreign parks and gardens without speaking of
one on one of the Borromean Islands, Isola Bella, in Lake Maggiore,
one of those gems among the hills of northern Italy. Like the Duke
of Devonshire, Count Boiromeo opens both his palace, and his gardens
to less fortunate mortals, without money and without price except the
j)our Loire always expected by the servant who does you the slightest
favor in a foreign land. The gardens are raised in terraces, ten in
number, and they contain a large variety of plants, both domestic
and foreign, so arranged as to give the finest effect. Oleanders luxu-
riate here in their own element, and are of immense size and of
various colors. Here, also, we find vines of all kinds, the bamboo,
cedar of Lebanon, and even the old friend of our boyhood, the Amer-
ican pine. One great swinging vine was quite a curiosity ; a huge
mass over a rocky grotto swinging out like an immense curtain. This
reminds me that through Italy we saw many vineyards containing both
the mulberry and the vine, the former trimmed down to close, thick
heads, and the latter stretching from tree to tree, with the foliage and
rich clusters of fruit swinging between.

But to come back to America. Our parks do not suffer in compari-
son with those abroad, when we consider the element of time. Few
American parks are 100 years old and nearly all not much more than
half that, while many of those on the other side are several times the
age of ours, giving more time for those developments which take time.
Of course, the old world is much richer in art, and its public grounds
are more profusely adorned with statuary, fountains, etc., than
ours, but, on the whole, no American need be ashamed of his coun-
try on this or any other account.

Many years since, the municipal authorities of our then infant city,
in their wisdom, bought of Gov. Lincoln, an honorod citizen, the
tract now known as Elm Park, and some years later he left by will a
sum of money to be expended in improving the same. For this pur-

56 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

pose also the city appropriated money, and latterly this has been done
annually ; this has been expended by our Parks-Commission, of which
the honored Secretary of this Society is chairman. Under his special
direction, this tract has been improved and beautified until in its land-
scape gardening and the annual floral displays, so many of our citizens
enjoy, we have a park of rare beauty and one that will not suffer in
comparison with many more pretentious, in our own country and
abroad.

The names of Davis, Salisbury, Bigelow, and Dodge, will be for-
ever identified with our city on account of their munificent gifts of
land for park purposes. Lord Hobhouse of England says, " This is a
kind of charity that cannot demoralize, and cannot be abused or
jobbed" ; and we might add, it is a very fine way for one to build his
own monument.

By wise action, our municipal government has secured for pres-
ent and future generations most desirable tracts that will forever
be held sacred for the public. Who, to-daj^, would deem it wise to
part with Newton Hill, even though the proceeds thereof would build
a fine city hall? The donors of Institute Park and Lake Park did
not stop with the gift of the laud, but Messrs. Salisbury and Davis
have spent handsome sums iu improving them. Without generous
gifts or bequests park improvements must necessarily be slow, as but
little can be expected annually from the appropriations, there are so
many wants seemingly more imperative iu a growing citj' like ours.
Could more men of large means realize that wealth is a trust and use
it more freely while living, generous sums might be placed in the
hands of the city to create a fund, the income thereof to be used
under the direction of our Parks-Commission, for park purposes.
Such a fund once established would be likely to receive additions,
from time to time, by bequests and otherwise, and the benefits derived
from it would be like the sun and rain from heaven, falling on both
the just and unjust, giving comfort, strength, and courage to the
former, and eucouragiug the latter to better and nobler living. Our
lives are largely formed by our surroundings. We know not the
secret influences that mould our habits and characters. No person
can associate with a noble character without becoming nobler him-
self. A love and appreciation of the beautiful grows as we come in
contact with the beautiful. As our tastes are improved our lives are
made better.

" And this our life, exempt from public haunts,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."

1894.] ESSAYS. 57

Our lives, not exempt from public haunts, but familiar with them,
especially in beautiful public parks, of which our Elm Park is one,
should find tongues in trees, books in the flowers, and lessons in every-
thing. A man takes his wife and children for a stroll through beauti-
ful grounds on a Sunday afternoon ; the little ones drink in and
enjoy the beauty of their surroundings ; the mother sees a rare plant
and in a few weeks one of the same kind is found in her window or
garden ; the father gets a hint from what he sees, which bears fruit
in his garden.

The good done by the comparatively small sum of money our Parks-
Commission is able to spend from year to year can not be measured
by dollars and cents. But suppose we take one item, the trees that
have been set by them in our highways, and let each man who has
one before his door, state the sum for which he would consent to its
removal, and doubtless we should be astonished at the result. Could
much larger sums be used annually on our parks, and could each be
developed in the next ten years as much as it is likely to be in the
next fifty years, the real estate owners of tlie city could afford to pay
the entire expense and be sure of a handsome profit should the}' desire
to sell. May the time soon come when our Parks-Commission will
have abundant means at its command.

22d February, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

JAMES COMLEY, Lexington, Mass.

Theme: — My Visit to Japan; Its Ghrysa)itht7nnms and other
Floioers.

In 1858 I unpacked the first two cases of plants ever imported into
the United States from Japan. They included some Lilium axiratum^
and six varieties of Retinospora, all grafted upon one stem, which had
been cut from the tree and placed in damp soil to preserve the graft.
This exploit in grafting excited my curiosity respecting the methods
of horticulture in Japan, and I have ever since felt a strong desire to
visit that country of the rising sun. Therefore it was with great
pleasure that I accepted an invitation to accompany Francis B. Hayes,
Esq., on his proposed trip to Japan. But now I have been there, I
cannot be satisfied until I have been there again.

We left Boston Oct. 5, going via. New York to Chicago, thence to
Omaha, and via Union & Central Pacific route to San Francisco. As
we passed rapidly along, we saw many evidences of the wondrous
enterprise of our people, especially as shown in agricultural and horti-
cultural operations, involving not only hundreds but thousands of
acres of laud, in the country west of the Mississippi River. The
grandeur of Nature's handiwork also engaged our attention.

We arrived at San Francisco Oct. 10, and were there five daj's,
which I passed in visiting Golden Gate Park ; Sutro Heights, the seat
of Adolphus Sutro ; Sherwood Hall, the estate of Timothy Hopkins
— a costly and once beautiful home, but now a commercial garden,
although the costly vases, statuary, etc., are still remaining upon the
grounds. At the station near Sherwood Hall was an Agave Ameri-
cana, in bloom, rising thirty to forty feet in height. A market garden,
ten acres in extent, also near, showed every variety of vegetable, with

1894.] ESSAYS. 59

strawberries in abundance — a curious sight in October. Chinatown,
in San Francisco, was also visited one evening.

We left San Francisco Oct. If), on the steamship Peru^ and for
twenty days endured an exceptionally rough passage to Yokohama.
This city is an interesting sight; rising from the water front, every
street has plenty of trees, and the upper branches seem to fill every
street above the buildings. No street cars or coaches were awaiting
the passengers, but there was many a "rikisha" — a small chaise or
gig — in charge of men, who draw their passengers wherever they wish
to go. These men will pass over forty to fifty miles per day, drawing
this carriage and passenger, and then appear as smiling and happy as
if they had made no extra exertion during the day. They are always
cheerful and obliging if well treated, and satisfied with fifteen cents
per hour for their services. But if slighted, or imposed upon in the
least, they not only resent it, but give notice, far and near, of the
fact, with such description of the offender that it is difficult for that
person to secure any further service from any of this class, wherever
he may go. We found the Grand Hotel an excellent one, upon the
European plan, but with American viands added to the bill of fare,
even Boston baked beans being included. Yokohama is a city of
temples and gardens — every family has one of the latter, even if only
a very small one. While in Japan I made the most of my time, pass-
ing every morning in prospecting, thus gaining much information.
Visiting the establishment of Louis Bojhmer & Co., I was invited to
lunch, after which he conducted me through his extensive gardens and
greenhouses, where everything was in perfect order, and all the stock
at its best. Of the large stock of chrysanthemums, I found only one
that I cared for, and bought, but selected many other kinds of plants.
Observing across the bay a hill covered by foliage and surmounted
by a large temple, I went to it one morning; two maidens at the tem-
ple entrance beckoned to me to approach. When near the steps, one
maiden seized my right foot and offered a slipper to put on it, the
other was at my left. I removed my boots, donned the slippers and
entered the edifice, which astonished and delighted me by the magnifi-
cence of sculpture therein, which represented men, animals, birds and
flowers, all executed in the highest style of art. On leaving the
temple I noticed a Ginkgo tree on either side of the entrance. They
were fifteen feel in diameter and stood one huudred feet high to the
lower limbs. They were noble specimens, and their effect was grand.
The Cliff Gardens is only one of many pretty spots near Yokohama.
There I saw dwarf figures, composed of chrysanthemums, represent-

60 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

iug all kinds of character. There are some elegant specimens of
Camellia Japonica, in every shade of color. They compose a hedge
of Howers twenty feet high, six feet in diameter, and extending five
hundred feet in length. It was a sheet of flowers when I saw it.
Near by was a Daphne odoratissima, eight feet in diameter and full
of bnds ; also beautiful specimens of umbrella pines and gardenias.

The Yokohama Gardeners' Association grounds cover 200 acres of
land ; include greenhouses and stores too numerous to mention, and
the floral and nursery business is carried on in the most perfect man-
ner. Palms, pseonies, plums, cherries, evergreens, magnolias, and
all classes of shrubs are in cultivation ; also 600 to 800 varieties of
chrysanthemums, including about seventy altogether new ones, which
I obtained. But the most curious feature of all, was the hundreds of
thousands of dwarf trees from five to 500 years old, the most beauti-
ful collection of its kind in the world. It is impossible to buy any
plants from a private garden. The gentry are as proud as the most
ancient of British nobility. It is necessary to cultivate personal
acquaintance with the proprietor, who, if assured the plant desired is
only for private use in another country, may present a specimen, I
visited nearly 100 such places in Yokohama, and every commercial
place of note, gathering one or two choice things in each.

Tokio, the capital of Japan, was the next point visited. There are
many temples with grandly timbered grounds, where many children,
with their dapper little mothers, meet and pass the hours in the hap-
piest manner possible. The palace of the Mikado is a large and
handsome structure, surrounded by most beautiful grounds. Tokio
contains many other gardens scarcely inferior, all of which are care-
fully kept, and contain most curious trees and shrubs. The imperial
gardens are difticult of access, even when the Mikado is absent.
However, I managed to gain favor, and feasted my eyes on the vision
of beauty for a time. Tokio abounds in elegant parks and drives,
and possesses a museum which would put to shame many of those
seen in Europe. In the great park may be seen almost every kind of
animal known in zoology. The Imperial Botanic Garden contains
one of the largest collections of named plants in the world. A botan-
ical student, whom I met there, told me there were no less than 18,000
named varieties of plants in those grounds. Dangozaka, the great
chrysanthemum garden, is on the slope of a hill. In this place it has
long been a custom to arrange these flowers to represent living nota-
ble persons, also birds and animals, or to tell of some historical event.
On entering the grounds, flags and bunting seem to invite the visitor

1894.] ESSAYS. 61

in a particular directiou, and showmen say they have a display of skill
to show. The faces of the persons represented are carved in wood or
plaster, but all else is illustrated by arrangement of chrysanthemum
Howers. They are done in this manner : A frame is made of bam-
boo ; the flowers — still on the plants, which are arranged behind the
frame — are drawn through the frame and held in place by a packing
of moss; all the colors are used necessary to complete the costume
and the character illustrated, and being still attached to the stems and
roots of the plants on which they grew, which are invisible to the
visitor, retain their freshness thirty days. This is a very popular
exhibition, to which the populace go in crowds, as one of the great
events of the year. Other places in the vicinity of Tokio which I
visited were Megura, Asakusa, Simei-Iriya, Hauka Yen, Senzokuinura
and Kusubunat-Honjo. On Sunday afternoon, after leaving the
chrysanthemum show, I came upon a large concourse of people, evi-
dently holding a celebration. There were at least 60,000 men, women
and children. Horse-racing, dancing and games were in progress, and
all appeared delighted. As I drew near, a host of happy, smiling
little girls surrounded me, apparently attracted by my size, which is
much above that of the average Japanese. I never before saw so
large a crowd so orderly in conduct. The Lotus gardens in Tokio
cover seven acres of land — or mud. This flower is very popular
there, as to that people it represents purity and virtue, single-minded-
ness and usefulness.

From Tokio I went to Nikho, a great city upon the rise of a hill,
noted for its magnificent temples ; and its picturesque situation upon
a range of lofty hills affords a view of grand scenery. Nature was
in her best garb ; decked in the richest autumn tints. I counted
twenty-four varieties of shrubs upon twenty-five feet square of
ground, and felt sure there must be some valuable plants as yet undis-
covered by us. I was carried up the mountain-side in a basket borne
by four men. From one point I saw, at the foot of a ravine, a shrub
covered with red berries, and climbing down to it, found it to be a
strange variety of barberry. I gathered the fruit, brought it home,
and have plants now growing for future use.

On another similar excursion I secured about one hundred varieties
of seeds from plants growing there. In wandering about the city of
Nikho, I sometimes found curious plants, and occasionally obtained
one or more of them or the fruit. The next place visited was Mine-
osta, thence via. Shidyawa and Yagoya to Kioto, where we remained
a week. It was once the capital of Japan, and is now one of

62 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

her finest cities. There we found the finest chrysanthemums, and
secured some very handsome varieties, some novelties of a new class.
I visited some great rice-farms and orangeries, also climbed the great
mountains. There are many old temples. A new one, not yet com-
pleted, has cost $6,000,000. It is highly enriched with delicate carv-
ing, of most artistic design of floral and other character. On one
farm are seen eight acres .of LiUum auratum, five acres of Caladium
esculentum^ four acres of lotus — thirty varieties — and other crops
were growing. I secured some of each of thirty varieties of lotus.
Later, I saw six acres of p.-vonies, of all ages ; three acres of young
trees — plum, cherry, peach — being grown for shipment ; also mulberry
trees by the acre, for silkworm culture, which is a great industry in
that section. In the mountain ravines orauges were very abundant.
A side trip was taken to Sacco, to visit the finest chrysanthemum
show in Japan. The show included thirty different classes, all ranged
in booths of bamboo, each class by itself. Specimen plants were
grown in many shapes, four or five kinds grown as one plant and
trained to make a perfect pyramid of different colors. The varieties
and classes were perfectly gorgeous. After a careful examination I
decided what I should like to take away and proposed to purchase.
But they refused to sell until I convinced them I desired them for pri-
vate use, and should take them out of the country. But I could not have
any I had seen ; I must select from a field of them just back of the
exhibition grounds, to which I was at once taken. There were plants
seven to eight feet high, and flowers seven to fourteen inches in diam-
eter. Making a careful selection from this stock I found I had 175
varieties, which with previous selections made 400 varieties of chrys-
anthemums, besides several hundred varieties of other kinds of plants,
which were at once taken to Yokohama to be started on their way to
Boston. Among the ornamental trees were some that were 50, 100,
and even 200 years old. Some of these treasures I brought with me,
others I expect will arrive in April. I sailed from Yokohama Nov.
29. A pleasant voyage of fifteen days brought us to San Francisco.
After seeing my plants on board the train for Boston, I left on the
Southern Pacific Railroad for Pasadena, and stopped at the Raymond
Hotel, of which Colonel Wentworth — formerly at the White Moun-
tains— is proprietor. The extensive grounds and greenhouses are
under the superintendeucy of Charles H. Hovey — son of the late C.
M. Hovey of Cambridge. The climate is favorable for permanent
sub-tropical gardening and the grounds are admirably planned and
managed. The greenhouses are in charge of James Barrett, formerly

1894.] ESSAYS. 63

of Cambridge, and the condition of the plants is most creditable to
his skill. Mr. Hovey took me to Los Angeles, a more southern point,
where palms are permanently grown in the open air, I saw them
twenty to thirty feet high, and Araucarias thirty to forty feet high, a
novel and pleasing sight.

I reached Chicago again Dec. 20, and came home direct, arriving in
a snowstorm, which was in chilling contrast with the tropical climate
and weather of California, so recently enjoyed.

Japan is a paradise for travellers ; there every one has opportunity
to practise the lost art of politeness. Civility is a common virtue,
even among the lower classes. I mastered enough of the language in
five daj's to get along fairly well. The guide books are excellent,
and the rikisha men are intelligent and faithful attendants. The
women are exceedingly submissive, attentive to your wants and
pleasing in manner. They are shy, demure little dolls and always
seem happy. They are good housewives. I was invited to take tea
with several Europeans who have taken Japanese wives ; in each case
I found the children were well educated in English and music, and
the mothers very accomplished. The home is very sacred in Japan.
You can visit a residence, go into certain rooms, but the inner sanctu-
ary you cannot enter.

In Yokohama there are about 6,000 Europeans, many of whom
have married native women. The theatres of Tokio are grand. I
was surprised by the size and beauty of the Imperial Opera House,
and as much pleased with the music and dancing. Japanese gardens
are the most fairy-like places. You see in them tiny trees and flower-
ing plants, ponds, bridges, summer-houses, lanterns ; here, dwarf
pines six or eight inches high, but 125 years old ; there, others one
foot high, but 500 years old. In the garden of Yeiju-iu — within the
temple grounds — there are many pieouy plants, mostly old, but one is
100 years old, and is eight feet high — quite a tree. Most of the soil
of Japan is a rich peaty loam ; this is interspersed with a yellow light
clayey soil. Both are extremely fertile, and in each there seems to be
planted that which is peculiar to that soil. The fertilizer most used
is rice straw, cut into small pieces, as with a hay cutter. But culti-
vators depend mostly upon irrigation from the rivers, and most care-
ful cultivation ; not a weed nor a waste piece of land will be seen in
a long railroad journey. The farmer utilizes every bit of land he
possesses. But farm tools are very crude. The bog-hoe is the chief
tool used ; occasionally a black bull may be seen hitched to what is
called a plough, but the implement is so small it looks like a toy.

64 WOKCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. [1894.

With the hoe, the blade of which is four inches wide, the soil is turned
over, left a few days exposed to the sun, then levelled and seed put
in. Every crop but rice is planted in rows, straight as an arrow.
Men and women work in the fields. I saw some rice-threshing going
on. Young women and children drew the rice straw across the teeth
of a saw-like blade, by which the seeds were dislodged. It is a matter
of wonder to our gardeners, how it is the Japanese curtail the growth
of plants as they do. After noticing the plants in Japan, and the
appliances and treatment, and considering all observed circumstances
therewith connected, it is my opinion that the glazed, or marble pots
they use, and which are not porous, retain moisture longer without
watering, and also make frequent repotting unnecessary. I mean to
experiment on this line. One can learn nothing from the Japanese
gardener about it ; I noticed all over Japan that they use very finely
sifted soil for potting, and press the soil down very firmly about the
plant roots. They seem to understand the true art of watering plants,
and this seems to me to be the main secret of their success.

Nature and Art go hand in hand in Japan. The people never try to
appear other than they are, and they never force things ; there is none
of that eternal rush we have here. They never hurry, but are always
industrious. They are perhaps the cleanest people in the world,
taking a bath two or three times every day, with water almost at boil-
ing heat. The bath tub is everywhere, in country and city alike. I
visited several silk and vase factories, and was surprised to see the
beautiful work done, even by children of five to ten years old. They
were making vases and chinaware. Some pieces require eleven
months to complete, because of the amount of labor, and time neces-
sary for drying the work. They are equally skilful in needlework.

If any one would renew life, I say, go to Japan instead of Europe.
In Japan there is I'est and enjoyment, and the beauty of the country
has no end. I never saw a chrysanthemum flower until I' went to
Japan, where everybody loves it. I visited five hundred places where
it is cultivated. But these were only the principal gardens in a few
large cities. Go to Japan !

ist March, A. D. 1894.

ESSAY

BY

Mks. a. E. HENDERSON, Worcester, Mass.
Theme: — Reminiscences of Land and Sea.

Would you, so the helmsman answered,
Learn the secret of the sea?
Only those who know its dangers
Comprehend its mystery.

On a flying trip across the Atlantic iu one of our modern steamers,
one does not always realize the tremendous power of the waves ; but
when you depend upon sails, you have plenty of time to see all the
moods which old ocean can display — hurricanes, calms, waterspouts,
etc. One experience of a West India hurricane would suffice for most
people. A low barometer warns us to make ready for the approaching
tempest. The sails are furled and every possible preparation made for
the encounter. An ominous silence prevails on board, as we await the
blast which strikes with such fury as to almost take away the breath.
I well remember the shout of the Captain, " Dow^n with every thiug."
It seemed as though he could hardly speak, and then the fearful com-
bat with the sea began.

I remember one time, when driviug a horse, that he became fright-
ened and ran for some distance. I wound the reins around my wrists
and held on ; when he was stopped, he stood still and trembled in every
liml). I could compare the ship to nothing but that horse. It seemed,
at times, as though she would stand still and every timber would
tremble ; then she would gather herself together and leap and pluuge
as though to get the better of those ragiug waters, which dashed on
board claiming everything that had not been most securely fastened.
I could hear the commotion on deck, as I quieted the two children in the
stateroom. We could not remain in the cabin. The water was one

66 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

foot deep on the floor and everything that could get adrift Avas having
its own way.

The storm lasted for twelve hours, but the sea had worked itself into
such a commotion that it was three days before we could safely walk
across the cabin floor. One of the children became weary of such
close quarters, and ventured into the cabin, when he was violently
thrown across the room, striking the sharp edge of a black walnut sofa,
receiving a severe bruise. His impatience was checked, and he allowed
himself to be amused in the stateroom until the waves had spent their
fury. When we reached port we saw a ship with a large hole stove in
her bow, which the crew had repaired sufficiently to allow of her reach-
ing port. A barque had gone to the bottom, a few of the crew escap-
ing. A large steamer had been sunk. In one of these dreadful
encounters with the ocean you realize your helplessness. The highest
ingenuity of man is as nothing. At times, his masterpiece of ocean
craft is crushed by the waves and vanishes like a child's toy. Not
long ago, one of our finest ocean steamers was boarded by a wave,
damaging her so that she was obliged to return to port for repairs.

It is said that the depths of the ocean are free from the violent com-
motions which agitate the surface, otherwise the life of the innumer-
able inhabitants of the great deep would be most tumultuous.

One of the most trying things, when you are dependent upon sails,
is a calm. To lie for days

" As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean,"

with the sun pouring down so fierce as to boil the pitch out of the
decks ; with the idle sails filled with no cooling breeze. In vain you
walk the decks searching for a shady place. I think most seamen pre-
fer a gale. The trade-winds are a delightful change, when you have
been tormented with a lengthy calm. Then you become fascinated
with the ocean, and sing of

" A life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep."

One of the most frightful things at sea is a fire. Once the cook after
trying out porpoise oil, threw the scraps into the stove, which made such
a blaze that a barrel which he had placed over the chimney to the galley
caught fire, and when discovered was all ablaze. The cotton sails
towered to the top of the mast directly over it. The second mate
jumped upon the galley and, while the children and I held our breath,
grasped the burning barrel and threw it overboard. With a cargo of

1894.] ESSAYS. 67

keroseue oil beneath our feet the coutemplatiou of that blaze was any-
thiug but agreeable. It is a terrible thing to stand and see your prop-
erty consumed by the tlames on the laud, but at sea when the flames
get beyond control you have to choose between two elements. Those
who have been placed in such an extremity invariably choose the
water. I once watched a burning ship sailing down the Delaware.
The pilot was about to leave when the captain invited him into the
cabin. Striking a match to light a cigar, the gas which had formed
in the closed cabin from the cargo of petroleum ignited, burning the
ship.

The rigging of a ship is very hard for a landsman to remember.
Some are surprised to And that the main sheet is a rope. Then there
is the bonnet, waist, stays, braces, shrouds, martingale, etc.

While lying at a Cuban port the barque Sarah Frazier arrived from
Europe ; while on the voyage, in mid-ocean, the captain had lost his
only son overboard. He was 16 years old, and had been brought up
on the ocean so that he could navigate the ship as well as his father
could. His watch was on deck at the time of the accident, which
happened at midnight. His mother heard the cry, "Man overboard,"
and jumped up exclaiming, "It is AUie." It was very pathetic when
they showed me the empty stateroom and unrolled the chart showing
the pencil mark the boy had drawn indicating their course. How the
accident happened was never found out. The captain told me the
hardest thing he ever did was to fill the sails and leave his son out
there in the ocean.

Some people are surprised to learn that you cannot anchor anywhere
on the ocean. They do not stop to consider that the average depth of
the ocean is four miles. In order to become a successful navigator
you must have experience and know all the ropes as the sailors say,
and the knowledge cannot be' bought. A young man, whose father
was possessed of wealth, had a ship nicely fitted out, which he under-
took to navigate. Having but little experience he bought books of
navigation and started on his voyage. They got underway all right
and clear of the harbor. Elated with his success he turned to take a
last look at the receding shore, when the wind blew a few pages over.
When he consulted the book again he came to the order to let go the
port anchor. The order on board ship is no sooner given than it is
obeyed. The result was that the young man gave up the command to
the first ollicer and went to the foot, and his experience, which money
could not buy, was the road by which he became master of the art of
navigation, which has been spoken of as the grandest outcome of

68 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

human geuius aud dariug and enthusiasm. No one can read of our
intrepid Arctic explorers without being thrilled with wonder at the
courage and self-sacritice which they have voluntarily undergone in
the cause of science.

On a recent short ocean trip our party was seated on deck talking
about the wonders of the great deep ; I remarked that a row boat
could be seen from the ship's deck at a distance of not over three
miles. This was received with great incredulity. The young man
who knows it all was standing near listening to our conversation. He
was sure that was not so ; he had been yachting the Summer before
and he could see 40 miles on the ocean. To defend myself I sent for
the first officer on board the steamer and asked him ; he answered that
if it was a very clear day, and you had good ej'csight, you might see
the row boat from a ship's deck at a distance of four miles. He also
said the board of trade allowed them ten miles to see a steamboat.
The young man who knows it all said he didn't believe a word of it,
but he was very careful to speak so low that the officer did not hear him.

Years ago at an examination, which I took with others, one of the
questions asked was, "What makes the ocean salt?" None of us
knew. One of the committee explained that the rivers washed the
salts of the earth into the ocean. If that is so, would not the rivers
as they neared the ocean be salt? There is no instance of such being
the case. Below New Orleans and Philadelphia ships fill their tanks
with fresh water for a long voyage. It is said that the Amazon
freshens the water a long distance at sea. If these immense rivers
washed the salts from the land, how does it happen that the ocean is
less salt where it receives these mighty waters? It has been found
that the ocean contains a larger amount of salt where it is most
remote from land. Whales could not exist in fresh water.

The Gulf Stream is the most important of the ocean currents. It
flows from the Gulf of Mexico, at a distance of about 75 miles from
our southern coast; here it is from 40 to 50 miles in width. It
increases in width as it flows farther north, where it is met by the cold
current from the Arctic ocean. The temperature is higher than the
surrounding water through which it flows without mingling. If you
draw a bucketful and put your hand into it, you will find it as warm
as new milk. AVe have generally experienced rough weather while
crossing the Gulf Stream. Many times the ice covered ships after
vainly trying to enter our northern harbors return to these warm
waters, where the ice all melts away and they are ready to try again,
with perhaps better success.

1894.] ESSAYS. 69

The iulml)itiints of the great deep furuish a never endnig source of
eutertaiumeut to "Those who go clown to the sea in ships."

" I hear a sound amidst the washing of the tide ;
It glideth by our vessel now, wherever we do ghde,
'Tis the whale — It is the shark! ah, see, he turns upon his side."

We passed several whales who seemed in no wise frightened, but
remained around the ship for some time, every now and then coming
to the surface to breathe. They seemed to be aware that we did not
intend to attack them. Often the young whale is harpooned to secure
the mother, who never deserts her offspring.

We met a young captain of a whale ship in Barbadoes, and later
heard that he struck a whale with the harpoon and in paying out the
rope it became entangled around his leg and he was drawn into the
water. His body was afterwards found when the whale was again
captured.

It was my good fortune, at one time, to see a whale on dry land at
Provincetown. It was towed into the harbor and beached. People
came from far and near to see it. It measured 80 feet in length.

Of the myriad inhabitants of the great deep the shark is the most
voracious. From his attack no unarmed man can defend himself. I
met a captain in the West Indies who had lost his mate overboard.
He saw the shark bite him in two with one snap of his jaws. They
have a number of rows of teeth, and are obliged to turn over when
they seize their prey. They are found in all parts of the ocean, but
attain their greatest size in the tropics, having been seen there 35 feet
in length. They are often seen following ships, greedily swallowing
everything thrown overboard, old boots being just as acceptable as
anything else.

While in the West Indies we took the small boat and rowed to a
fine beach to bathe in the salt water, a very risky thing to do, we
were told afterwards, on account of the vicious sharks that frequent
the place. We were told of a little chihl who trailed Ms hand through
the water while in a boat, when a shark came alongside and bit his
hand off. We took no more bathing excursions at that place.

At the mouth of the Rio de la Plata all hands threw out their lines
and drew in fish as fast as they could bait their hooks. I was the
only one on board who had no luck. Astonished that I got no fish I
began to complain when, at that instant, I felt something tugging at
my line. It was too heavy for me to pull in. The mate was standing
near and I asked him to look over the railing and see what was pulling
on my line. He did so, and reported that I had caught a shark. I
6

70 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

gave up the line and took myself out of the way. A harpoou was
brought from forward and the shark was soon floundering upon the
deck, snapping and biting at everything that was thrown at him in the
most ferocious manner. After a while he was dispatched, and I kept
a piece of the skin for a souvenir. The color is pale ash ; it would
answer for sand-paper. His presence accounted for my not catching
any fish. He was contemplating my bait and it is very probable that
the fish did not care for his company.

It has never been my good fortune to get a view of the sea serpent,
although there are many instances on record of his appearance. In
the museums are shown skeletons of gigantic animals which have not
been known to exist since the time of history. It is possible that
monsters may have previously existed in the sea as well as on the land.
It is well known that the great species of the whale are not as numer-
ous as in former times. It is said that there are serpents in the sea,
but they are six feet in length. Eels are frequently seen of enormous
size, sometimes weighing 100 pounds and ten feet in length.

In 1878 I saw a devil fish exhibited at a travelling show which came
to Worcester. I read of a little boy playing on the beach in the "West
Indies when a devil fish reached out one of its long arms and carried
the child into the sea. Fabulous stories are told of these sea monsters.
Victor Hugo, in "The Toilers of the Sea," gives a vivid picture of an
encounter with oue of them beneath the sea.

Porpoise are often hai'pooued by the sailors. The meat is dark and
one must be quite hungry to eat it. The liver and heart taste like
those of a hog. They weigh about 2.50 pounds and in color are of a
bluish black. Multitudes of them are seen leaping from the water at
a height of five or six feet. Their presence is a sign that a storm is
near at hand.

The Stormy Petrel or, as the sailors call them, Mother Carey's
Chickens, are also noticed in stormy weather. They fly close to the
water and have the appearance of walking on the waves, when in
reality they are searching for food which is thrown up by the agitation
of the ocean or that which may be thrown overboard. They fly very
rapidly and many suppose they come around a ship for shelter. They
are found hundreds of miles from the shore.

" Up and down ! Up and down !
From the base of the wave to the biUow's crown,
And amidst the flashing and feathery foam
The Stormy Petrel finds a home ;
A home if such a place there be

1894.] ESSAYS. 71

For lier who lives on the wide, wide sea,

On the craggy ice, in the frozen air,

And only seeking her rocky lair

To warm her young and teach them to spring

At once o'er the waves on their stormy wing."

We ofteu amuse ourselves catching white Cape Horn pigeons with
"bended pins for hooks." Immediately upon landing on deck they
are seasick and stagger about for a moment as though dizzy. We
caught one away out at sea with a pink ribbon around its neck.
We wrote our names, latitude, and longitude on the ribbon and tying
it around its neck parted with it, in hopes that some lonely voyager
on the wide ocean might be amused as we had been.

In warm latitudes south of the Equator we have been surrounded
with schools of flying fish. They spring from the water at a height of
eight or ten feet, keeping on the wing for a few seconds, when they
dip into a wave to wet their wings, in this manner flying for quite a
distance. Although they were as thick as bees around the ship there
was no way we could entice them on board. Sometimes they would fly
on the deck in the night, and then the cook would surprise the most
favored person on board with fried flying fish for breakfast. On the
island of Barbadoes they are caught in large quantities in nets, and
boneless flying fish is one of the delicacies which we remember in con-
nection with that lovely isle. You have all heard of the young man,
who, on his return from his first voyage, was asked by his mother to
relate some of the sights which he had seen ; he told her he had seen
mountains of sugar, rivers of rum, and fish that could fly. The old
lady said she could believe there were mountains of sugar and rivers
of rum, but that she would never believe that fish could fly.

While at Sagua la Grande, Cuba, we took the boat and rowed to a
beach which was covered with large shells. The}^ were somewhat
broken and faded, being exposed to the sun. The natives dive for
the handsome piuk-liued shells and eat the animal which inhabits
them. It is very amusing to see these shells walking around on deck.
One of the captains while walking on the beach picked up some small
shells and put them in his pocket. Afterwards he called at his
broker's office, and while sitting there talking they came out of his
pocket and crawled up his coatsleeve, to the great amusement of a
young lady who was in the office.

" The tiny shell is forlorn
Void of the little living will
That made it stir on the shore."

72 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

At Tripoli, on the coast of Syria, the shells are two feet deep ; they
could be carried off iu cart loads. The surf at this place is tremen-
dous. On a calm day, while walking on the beach picking shells, I
looked up just in time to grasp the hand of one of the children and run
to get out of the way. In a gale the height of the surf is tremendous.

"The fields and forests of our dry land," says an eminent natural-
ist, "appear sterile and empty if we compare them with those of the
sea. Each kingdom skilfully imitates the other." On the Grand
Banks the fishermen often draw up from the bottom imitations of veg-
etables and fruit, such as corn, lemons, etc. In the tropics every form
of vegetation is represented beneath the sea ; trees, flowers, shrubs,
fruit, etc., in great variety and of contrasting colors. In crossing
the Bahama I^auks we could look down through the clear water and
see the branches of coral, beautiful monuments of the little lives that
have formed so many islands which are now inhabited by mankind.
No language can describe the magnificence of these wonders of the
deep. On the music shell the notes are written with striking exact-
ness. Perhaps the sirens, when they charmed the sailors with their
bewitching melodies, read their music from the notes written upon
these shells.

The luxuriant tropical vegetation of the West Indies is something
that we cannot imagine. The wonderful variety of fruit, the sapo-
dilla, custard apple, pawpaw, guava, from which delicious jelly is
made, shaddock, or forbidden fruit, star apple, sour sop, tamarinds
growing in long pods, hanging from the tree in clusters. The mango
tree is very common, the foliage dense, affording a most refreshing
shade from the tropical sun. The cocoanut, orange, and banana are
everywhere, and form the principal food of the natives. The flowers
would delight the eyes of those who frequent this Hall. The choicest
varieties are iu profusion. We sat beneath the shade of oleander trees.
Coffee has a beautiful white blossom. In sailing among these islands
one would imagine he was looking upon fairy land. We visited Cuba,
Hayti, Dominique, Granada, St. Vincent, Trinidad, and Barbadoes.
Cuba was the least interesting to look upon, beiug low ; Hayti is all
mountains.

On a voyage from the Mediterranean to Buenos Ayres we sailed
down the west coast of Africa, passed the Madeira, Canaries, and
Cape Verde Islands and entered the region of equatorial calms, or
doldrums, where we experienced calms, squalls and heavy showers,
and found the oppressive atmosphere most uncomfortable. This
region is noted as being one of the most disagreeable places at sea.

1894.] ESSAYS. 73

The emigrant ships from Europe to Australia, iu former times, were
obliged to cross it and passengers, in feeble health, suffered from the
depressing influeuees, and oftentimes found a watery grave in this
burying-ground of the ocean. Right glad were we to leave this place
and enter the southeast trade-winds, where our drooping spirits revive
and tlie oppressive sensations disappear. We are leaving the sun to
the north of us. When we commenced our journey the sun slione
into the forward cabin door ; when half way it shone into the after
cabin door. Long ago we had lost sight of the North Star, and the
brilliant Southern Cross now beckons us ou our watery way.

While at Matanzas we hired a volante and drove to the Cave of
Bellamar. Tt is one of the most beautiful caves in the woi'ld, the
discovery of which is most interesting. A negro, while at work ou
his master's plantation digging limestone, felt his crowbar slip through
his hands and disappear from sight. In alarm he went to his master
and told him what had happened. They dug around the crevice and
soon peered into a deep, dark hole. Obtaining a rope and lantern the
owner was let down into the bowels of the earth, and found himself in
an immense temple, 1,500 feet in length, 200 feet wide, aud 100 feet
high, glittering on all sides and overhead with magnificent crystals,
formed by the combination of water and lime. Mr. Santos Parga
arose to the surface satisfied that the most valuable part of his prop-
erty was beneath his feet. The cave had been explored for the dis-
tance of three miles when we visited it. The guide with a lighted
torch, after burning a scorpion which he noticed crawling upon the
doorway, led the way down the steps wdiich had been erected to the
bottom of the cave. We were speechless with wonder wheu we found
ourselves in such a vast hall amid so much beauty. The stalactites
and stalagmites meeting, forming immense columns. Articles iuuu-
merable were represented, which glistened like diamonds as the guide
waved the torch, including an organ, embroidered garment, and a con-
fessional. There were millions of fantastic shapes, so we thought it
no harm to take a souvenir. In breaking a small piece the cave rang
w'ith the reverberations. The guide remonstrated with us, but as we
could not understand Spauish his jabbering was wasted. He had us
in his power, however, for had he extinguished the torch we would
have been in total darkness. A lady in our party wrapped lu!r hand-
kerchief around the specimen she appropriated aud broke it off with-
out making any sound. Why we w^ere not allowed to take any
was because they wished to sell most exquisite specimens iu small

6*

74 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

boxes, for which the price was only eight dollars. Matanzas connects
with Havana by rail, and a visit to that place is well worth the trip.

In sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar, where the mountains of
Europe seem to rival those of Africa, the most remarkable object that
meets your wondering gaze is the Rock itself, rising abruptly from
the low sandy isthmus which connects it with the main land of Spain.
The Straits are oG miles in length and 13 miles wide in the narrowest
part. The current always sets towards the Mediterranean Sea, run-
ning at the rate of thi'ee miles, giving one the impression that the vast
Atlantic had forced its way through this narrow opening in spite of
every obstacle. This remarkable inland sea is said to be salter than
the ocean and has no visible outlet. There is supposed to be an under-
current flowing into the Atlantic. The evaporation here is known to
be very great, owing to the heat from the deserts. Sailing ships must
wait for a levant, or easterly wind, before attempting to pass from the
eastward. At one time we, in company with 250 sail, were 14 days
lying oft' and on back of the Rock before we could enter the Straits.

Can we ever forget the grand sight as we looked, for the first time
by daylight, upon Gibraltar, that almost isolated rock rising to the
height of 1,470 feet, three miles in length from north to south, and
three-quarters of a mile wide? The view from where we lay at anchor
bore a striking resemblance to a huge lion looking towards Spain. I
have since seen a magnificent painting of the lion view at Wellesley
College. On a nearer approach the resemblance to a lion gradually
fades away and a steep perpendicular height is presented to our view.
I have seen the rock from different approaches, but its first appearance
is the one that will be forever fixed in my memory. The cit}' which
lies spread out before us is indeed founded upon a rock. We cannot
realize that instruments of death are looking out at us from every
available point, so calm and peacefully reposes this monster at the
doorway of the Mediterranean. The next morning we were on shore
bright and early to take a jaunt on Gibraltar. First, we procured a
carriage and drove to the neutral ground between the Rock and Spain,
which is a low^ sandy isthmus 1,000 yards wide. I read in the paper,
not long ago, of some Spanish women who came onto this neutral
ground to sell their goods. The goods were confiscated. The next
day the women returned with their friends and demanded the goods,
which were refused. They then attacked the place where they were
stored, and became so furious that the militia was called out to drive
them away. After driving upon the beach we passed through the city
and drove to Europa Point, on which the lighthouse is situated. From

1894.] ESSAYS. 75

there we drove to where the guides whom Ave had engaged, with their
douke5's, were waiting to pilot us up the rock. The path was zigzag,
and so narrow part of the way that we trembled for fear the donkey
might make a mis-step and throw us down the steep sides. We saw
beautiful flowers of every variety growing along the sides of the Rock,
and frequently stopped the guide, who was leading the donkey, and
sent liim to gather lilies, whose fragrance we could not pass. Every
shrub was in bloom. Lizards were crawling around everywhere.
About half-way up we alighted and entered the cave of Saint Michals.
The main entrance was closed by the government, as several have
entered this cave and never returned. One might easily lose his foot-
ing and plunge down the yawning abyss that gave back no sound
when a stone was dropped into it. We broke off some stalactites and
mounted our donkeys to proceed upwards, and after a most romantic
trip reached the signal station at the top of the Rock, where was
stretched before us a most magnificent view. The snow clad mountains
of Spain, the blue Mediterranean, and the mountains of Africa. We
looked through the powerful glass through which the name of every
ship that passes the Rock is read, and then partook of some bread and
cheese with English ale, which was procured at the top of the Rock.
The keeper introduced us to his little son who was born upon this
elevated height and named "Gibraltar." They called him Gib for
short. He ought to become a poet, looking out upon such grand
scenery every day of his life. It must be an inspiration to gaze upon
such grandeur. It is said that scenery influences character. " Switzer-
land is a country of mountains and of heroes. While the inhabitants
of low and level countries, especially on the plains of Russia and Asia,
submit to oppression and never dare like mountain-bred men to break
their fetters." While visiting Niagara, a few years ago, I said to the
driver of our carriage, I suppose you grow weary of constantly view-
ing this wonderful cataract. "No," said he, "I never am tired of
looking at the Falls and often, when business is dull, I go down and
look at them." After we had rested we began to descend Gibraltar,
and entered the extensive galleries, filled with guns, which were drilled
out of the solid rock.

We went into St. George's Hall, which is also drilled out of the solid
rock and filled with guns pointed in every direction. Often the officers
clear the hall and invite their ladies there to dance. There is another
hall similar to this, named Coruwallis. After walking through gal-
leries until tired, we rode to a precipice where we dismounted and
seated ourselves to witness a sham battle on the plain below, which

76 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

was most exciting. All the mauosuvres of a real engagement were
gone through with, breastworks thrown up, rifle-pits dug, powder
Imrned. The enemy were engaged and routed just as in a real battle,
only there were no dead and wounded left on the field. When the
fight was ended the soldiers all jumped up, fell into rank, and marched
to town. There were between five and six thousand men engaged in
this sham battle. As we stood and watched them pass, it seemed as
though there was no end to red-coats. They were accompanied with
bands of music and looked tired and dusty. We were very fortunate,
being on the Rock at this time, to witness this sham battle. Gibraltar
is shut otf from all communication at seven o'clock by heavy iron
gates. We passed through the gates a few moments before seven to
our floating home. As we sat in the comfortable cabin, wearied with
sight-seeing, we felt repaid for all the inconveniences we had suffered
on our voyage across the stormy Atlantic in March.

The city of Genoa presents a fine appearance from the sea. It is
in the form of an amphitheatre rising five or six hundred feet, and in
the distance the mountains lend their charm to the beautiful picture.
The harbor is formed by two moles about eighteen feet high. A
steam tug came to our assistance, and we were soon in the commo-
dious harbor amid a perfect forest of shipping. The bells were merri-
ly ringing for church. They had a sweet, silvery tone, and kept up a
constant jingling throughout the day. Genoa is called the city of
palaces. The king's palace has 150 rooms, gorgeously furnished with
hangings of velvet and floors of marble, elegant pictures, etc. We
conld here ajipreciate the song " I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls."
Another palace has 365 windows. Every day in the year you can
look out of a different window. The cathedral of San Lorenzo was
built in the 11th century. It is of black and white marble. The
Annunziata has recently been restored. The whole interior fairly
glitters with gold.

The new part of the city is very fine. It is a delight to walk in the
public garden where the better class resort. The streets are so nar-
row in the old part that carriages cannot pass through. The build-
ings are very high, shutting out the sunlight. There is a celebrated
bridge, connecting two hills, which leads to a church. The houses
are seven and eight stories high, but this bridge is far above them.
In walking out one day we noticed the people run and look over the
bridge. We also looked over and saw a man lying dead on the pave-
ment far below. It gave us such a shock to see the man lying there
dead, that we took pains to inquire what had caused him to take such

1894.] ESSAYS. 77

a fatal leap. We were told that it was "an affair of the heart."
Here was an illustration of the rashness of the Italian nature.

Genoa has long been celebrated for its handsome women. I was
disappointed and came to the conclusion that I was a poor judge of
beauty. I have seen just as handsome ladies in Worcester. The
men, rich and poor, are obliged to drill in the army for five years,
and are noticeably fine looking. At the art studio we saw a fine
painting of Columbus leaving his little son with a monk previous
to his setting out on his voyage of the discovery of America. A
beautiful monument of pure white marble was erected in 1862 to
his memory. He was born fifteen miles out of the city in a small
stone-house on the seashore.

La Spezia is a rendezvous for men-of-war and is one of the chief
naval stations of Italy. The scenery of the gulf is very beautiful.
We saw the stars and stripes flying from an U. S. war ship which was
harboring here.

Leghorn, or Livorno as the Italians call it, is quite an important
place. The land all about it is low and marshy, quite different from
Genoa, which is all up and down. Conspicuous on the wharf is a
monument of one of the king's sons with four black pirates from
Tunis chained at his feet, all in bronze. The pirates destroyed a
great deal of the commerce, and the king's sou volunteered to go in
search of and capture them. The rule was, if any ship entered the
port without raising the flag of Italy the offender should have his
head cut off. The son was so rejoiced at having captured the pirates
that he entered the harbor forgetting to hoist the colors. He was
beheaded, and this monument was erected to his memory by the
people. At this place we supplied ourselves with Leghorn hats. The
women beggars were seated on the steps of buildings industriously
knitting stockings. The children were nibbling at pumpkin seeds,
which are on the stands for sale just as peanuts are here. We loaded
here with a cargo of marble from the mines of Carrara. Part of it
was in blocks weighing five or six tons.

Procuring a carriage, we drove from Leghorn through a level tract
of country containing wheat fields, groves of pine trees, mulberry
trees, and grape-vines to Pisa, situated on the famous Arno River,
which flows through one of the loveliest valleys in Italy. Long
before we reached the city we did not need any one to tell us that
what we saw in the distance, conspicuous above everything else, was
the celebrated Leaning Tower; one of the seven wonders of the world.
The walls of the city are five miles in circuit. When we reached the

78 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894.

gate the officers looked into our carriage to see if we had any contraband
goods. There is a heavy fine for smuggling salt and tobacco. Driving
over one of the bridges which crosses the Arno, we made no delay in
ascending the tower, where we had a most charming view of the sur-
rounding country and the mountains in the distance. A great many
people have thrown themselves from the top of the tower, so less than
three are not allowed to go up at once. It is simply frightful to look
down and I should not wonder if some have become dizzy and fallen
without intending to commit suicide. The tower contains a chime of
bells, is 178 feet high, and leans 15 feet from the perpendicular. Many
suppose it was built in this manner, others are of the opinion that it
has gradually sunk, which is the most probable. I read of an old
lady and gentleman, who had gone a long distance out of their way
to see this wonderful piece of architecture, when it was pointed out to
them the old gentleman said : "So this is the famous tower of Pisa !
Well, it's the most out of plumb thing I ever sot eyes on. I
wouldn't get the contractor to build me a hen-coop ! " We were
charmed with the baptistery, which is also built of marble, and one of
the most celebrated in the world. Its shape is circular. At the top
of the dome is a statue of St. John. The interior is very beautiful,
and has a wonderful echo. The guide sang one or two strains and it
seemed as though there were a whole choir of voices flooding the
building with most delicious music. Pisa is noted as being the
birthplace of Galileo. In the cathedral is the swinging lamp that
gave him the idea of a pendulum. We visited the cemetery, which is
very ancient. It contains fifty vessel-loads of earth brought from
Jerusalem.

One of the greatest blessings to the mariner is the lighthouse.
Since 1830 the nations have rivalled each other in lighting up the
dangerous coast. Ship-masters have books of information describing
the peculiarity of each light. Some are stationary. Some places
have two and three lights, as the twin lights of Navesiuk and the
three lights of Nausett. Some are revolving, like Fire Ishind light.
Some flash, like Barnegat light, which can be seen twenty miles. The
distance which a light can be seen depends upon the atmosphere. In
the Mediterranean, where it is very clear, it can be seen at a greater
distance than on our coast. After being bafiled and beaten and blown
about on a long voyage across the stormy Atlantic in March, how
welcome have been the harbor lights ! We cannot estimate the num-
ber of lives that are annually saved by these warning beacons which
everywhere light up the perilous coast.

1894.] ESSAYS. 79

" Not one alone; from each projecting cape
And perilous reef along the ocean's verge
Starts into life, a dim gigantic shape
Holding its lantern o'er the restless surge.
And the great ships sail outward and return,
Bending and bowing o'er the billovvy swells
And ever joyful as they see it burn
They wave their silent welcomes and farewells.
Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same
Year after year through all the silent night
Burns on foreverraore that quenchless flame,
Shines on that inextinguishable light.
A new Prometheus chained upon the rock.
Still grasping in his hand the Are of love.
It does not hear the cry nor heed the shock
But hails the mariner with words of love.
Sail on ! it says, sail on, ye stately ships !
And with your floating bridge the ocean span;
Be mine to guard this light from all eclipse.
Be yours to bring man nearer unto man ! "

I remember, when a child, an old time citizen of Worcester, who
frequently visited my father's house, who said there were two things
he could never be persuaded to do — he never would cross the suspen-
sion bridge at Niagara Falls, and he would never cross the ocean. I
remember thinking, child as I was, that if the opportunity ever came
to me I would cross them both. Years ago, the old time citizen
crossed that bridge to the unknown country from whence no traveller
has returned. I believe that a beacon light illumined the way, so that
he had not a single fear. If we are guided by the " Light of the
World," when we have finished the voyage of life and are called to go
aloft, it will make little difference when the summons comes whether
we are on the sea or on the land.

:^^

1^ I *