132 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



meeting, and Edson Harkness was elected temporary President, Stephen 

 Dewey .Corresponding Secretary, and A. P. Bartlett Recording Secretary. 

 Mr. Harkness delivered an address, which, together with the proceedings, 

 may be found in The Pt'airie Fancier for December, 1846. He con- 

 cludes the address, in which among other things he predicts the great 

 future importance of hedging and grape pruning, by saying: "I have 

 sometimes permitted myself to dream how the undulating surface of our 

 rich and beautiful country will look when fully redeemed from its wilder- 

 ness and subjected to the changes which industry combined with intelli- 

 gence and taste must produce. In these day-dreams I have seen wide, 

 clean avenues stretching away in the distance for miles, inclosed on 

 either side with a banner of living green. Along the borders of these 

 avenues neat farm houses and cottages, the abodes of an industrious, 

 intelligent and happy people — every dwelling surrounded with beautiful 

 trees, shrubs and vines. In the back-grouud, stately orchards, all gleam- 

 ing with delicious fruit, well cultivated fields, rich meadows, and pastures 

 are dotted over with fat, contented herds and flocks." Such was the 

 aspiration of the man who may be called the founder of our Society. 



CYRUS R. OVERMAN. 



At this meeting appeared another face which many learned to love — 

 of the genial and enthusiastic Cyrus R. Overman. He came to this State 

 from Indiana as early as 1844, and resided at the "Mound Nursery," 

 near Canton, until 1855 or 1856, when he removed to Normal, McLean 

 county, where he died in 1865. An enthusiast, like so many of his breth- 

 ren, his favorite object was to secure a live fence for our great prairies. 

 He experimented extensively with the Washington thorne ; but his final 

 favorite was the Osage Orange, which he and his associate, W. H. Mann, 

 grew in immense quantities. He was present at the organization of this 

 Society in 1856, was elected its President in 1861, and was a zealous and 

 active member till his death. 



JOHN A. KENNICOTT. 



Within a few months from the date of the Peoria meeting, the Chicago 

 Horticultural Society was organized, with J. H. Kenzie as its President. 

 It held at least five successful exhibitions. Among its prominent exhib- 

 itors appears' the name of Dr. John A. Kennicott, also well known to a 

 former generation of Illinois fruit-growers. He came to Cook county in 

 1836, and immediately began to grow fruits and flowers and trees. A 

 ready and readable writer, a good talker, and an enthusiastic devotee of 

 the art that does mend nature, he did much during his quarter of a cen- 

 tury's sojourn among us to waken and inform the mind of farmer and fruit 

 grower. He was elected President of the Northwestern Fruit Growers' 

 Association in 185 1 and i852,*and of this Society in i860. He died June 

 4th, 1863, and was buried among the flowers he loved at Northfield. 



The Prairie Farmer for November, 1847, contains an account of 

 what it calls "The Annual Meeting of the Illinois Horticultural Society, 

 convened at Farmington, Fulton county, according to adjournment, on 



