28 American Horticultural Society. 



in case of others who had expected to be with us — to the unfortunate 



change of time in the hoklinj^ of our meetings, made necessary in 



order to secure favorable railroad rates: 



London, December 31, 1887. 

 W. H. R(iga7i, Secretary A. H. S.: 



Dear Sir: I am extremely sorry that the date of the annual meeting has 

 heen changed, as your letter notifying the change only arrived yesterday, and, of 

 course, it would be impossible to get to New York by January 8. This change 

 will, 1 am sorry to say, prevent the English delegates from being present, though 

 I am afraid that one or two of our readers who had intended going in a private 

 capacity will make the journey too late. But, of course, we could not expect for 

 one moment to inconvenience your Society. Personally I should have much en- 

 joyed being present, and 1 hope you will convey to the meeting the hearty ex- 

 pressions of good will both by the English gardening press and the English 

 gardening public. I hope the meeting will be, as it deserves, a great successs. 

 Yours, sincerely, Editor H. T. 



Next I have a letter from that most eminent and exceedingly 

 worthy fungologist whom American horticulturists all delight to 

 honor, Prof. T. J. Burrill, of Illinois: 



Parker Earle : Champaign, III., December 19, 1887. 



My Dear Sir — Nothing would please me better than to obey your mandate 

 and go across the continent. Two of the trustees urged upon me the imj)ortance 

 of going, but they did not find it possible to do more than possibly grant leave of 

 absence. I am now buried with work, and could hardly hope for resurrection if 

 I let a month's time pass. Altogether, the rich treat can not be accepted. But I 

 will do my best in the way of a paper or papers, and will hurrah for the meeting 

 everywhere. T. J. Burrill. 



Here is a letter from a man who, perhaps, has spent more time 

 and money in his efforts to introduce varieties of hardy fruits from 

 abroad into the more northern sections of our country than any 

 American citizen, living or dead, and to whom we of the east should 

 feel most thankful. We all regret his absence. He is now fruit- 

 ing, on trial, of his own importations, hundreds of varieties of 

 apples and other hardy fruits from Russia and North Germany, at 

 his home in Quebec: 



Ifon. Parker Parle: Aruottsford, Prov. Que., January 11, 1888. 



Dear Sir — I have been again absent some days, and my reply may be too 

 late. I spent two months in California last summer, or would have made every 

 effort to have^been with you on this excursion. \"ou ask me for a paper on Rus- 

 sian fruits, but really I have nothing new. I have, however, on trial in my orchard 



