SOCIETY OF NORTH KRN I ILLINOIS. 253 



The j)ear is mostly :i northern fruit, and is valiiahlr and iis<'fiil 

 as a delicate food. Much experinientin*^ has been niach' with the 

 |K^ar. l»ut in tlit" -wrou^' way. as tlu' i(h'a to raise only larj^v fruit was 

 prevailing. Then the importation of French seeds most exclusively. 

 and the hyhridizinjti^ with soft French varieties was a great failure. 

 Our pear seed should come from North Germany and Russia, with 

 their hardy varieties. The Bergamot. Meckel. Funfer, (rrau and 

 Goose i)ears should ])e the parents, then we will succeed. I doul)t 

 that the now famous Kiefer. LeCount, and Sand pears will be suc- 

 cesses as either table or drying pears. They will l)e novelties of no 

 duration. Rut do not 1)e discouraged, my friends; — the ever-awake 

 and never-resting American nurseryman and horticulturist will pro- 

 duce us pears of value and duration. My eye is particularly fixed on 

 that noble, thinking, working, philosophic horticulturist. I^rofessor 

 Budd. A few more such patriots and we soon will have the right 

 ])ear, cherry, plum, and apple, to sweep the country of all worthless 

 trash. Good pears will be as '' thick as blackberries.'* 



Now we come to the fruit of the gods and Paradise, the most 

 noble grape. 



Go back with me thirty-live and forty years, and nothing l)ut 

 the sour Isabella adorned here and there our gardens. Nicholas 

 Longworth made the first step with the hard-shelled ratawl)a: then 

 came our uever-to-be-forgotten friend. Ball, of Concord, Mass.. and 

 brought us the first good grape "for the people'' — the Concord. 

 The Delaware, lona, Diana, Hartford, and the hundreds of seedlings 

 and hvbrids followed, till our list got so big that we have to com- 

 mence sifting. But w'e are not to the end of perfection, we are only 

 •' at it," and every year will bring" us new and better varieties. But 

 I will save this long question for another time if your Society wishes 

 to hear me. and T will only say here, that grape culture has only 

 connuenced in the West and our State. It is the safest, most profi- 

 table, intelligent and easiest occupation of fruit culture there is. 

 There will be more demand for gra])es than for potatoes in the fu- 

 ture, and if our tem])erance friends have closed the door of every 

 saloon, brewery and distillery, then grape culture will have its prime 

 days, and be a blessing to our free country. But on this subject T 

 have another lecture in the future. 



Wishing you a jirofitable and hapjiy meeting. 1 am. 



Your friend. Dr. H. ScHROiDER. 



Committee appointed to draw up resolutions on the late Dr. 

 Warder presented the following, which were ado])ted by a rising 



vote: 



» 



Whereas, In the providence of God it has pleased His divine 

 will to remove from this field of labor our beloved co-worker and 

 friend. Dr. John A. Warder; therefore, 



