President's Annual Address 87 



management, which will, if properly supported by the horticulturists of this 

 country, far surpass all previous shows of the kind. 



We aim at nothing less than a complete exposition of the pomological re- 

 sources of the world. We wish to place side by side for comparison the 

 same varieties of apples, of pears, of grapes, and of oranges, grown in the old 

 countries and in the new ; and to bring together from all the nations, that 

 marvelous range of classes and species and kinds of fruit which have sur- 

 vived the trial of ages, and which feed and gladden the different peoples of 

 the globe. This is an ambitious scheme, truly, but the means have been 

 placed at our command to accomplish it in a good measure, if the fruit grow- 

 ers of this and other countries will give us their support. I think the sim- 

 ple statement I make is a sufficient appeal to all of our members to give us 

 help in every possible way. If we succeed in this grand enterprise, we shall 

 not only bring a great honor to our noble Society, but do an important work 

 for the pomology of this country and the world. 



Most pomologists have long appreciated the extreme ill taste and absurd- 

 ity of so many of our fruit names. So far as it is practicable without creating 

 confusion, 



OUR NOMENCLATURE SHOULD BE SIMPLIFIED. 



Many of the established names can be reduced without any loss of signiii- 

 cance; others can not. But in all future naming we should rigidly discoun- 

 tenance complex, meaningless, or vulgar designations. Another careless 

 feature in nomenclature will be fully illustrated by my calhng your attention 

 to two of our most promising new strawberries. The Mrs. Garfield is a 

 staminate plant, while the Daniel Boone is a pistillate plant. What a happy 

 improvement it would be if the names of these and all other varieties which 

 bear the names of persons should correctly suggest the sex of the va- 

 rietj'. I commend to your attention the propositions for reform in this 

 matter which were so ably presented by President Wilder in his late address 

 to the American Pomological Society, a copy of which is herewith submitted. 



There is one other branch of horticulture which is fully recognized as 

 within the scope of our work, and which no horticultural body should ever 

 pass by without thoughtful consideration. I refer to the 



GREAT AND PRESSING QUESTION OP FORESTRY. 



There is no subject which ever comes before us of so great importance as 

 this. There is no question of an economic character which ever comes up 

 in State legislatures or in the national congress which equals this in its bear- 

 ings upon the future comfort and wealth of this nation. The deforestation of 

 our woodland States has gone forward, and still goes on with alarming haste 

 and recklessness. Not faster could men work destruction to our glorious 

 forests if God's command had been to lay bare the earth for its punishment. 

 The majestic pine forests, which nature has boon centuries in growing, 

 perish in a year before the remorseless lumberman, who skims tlie cream 



