ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 223 



WEDNESDAY, 



January twenty-second. Meeting called to order by the President. 

 Prayer by S. G. Minkler. 



The following Communication from Dr. J. A. Warder was read. 



Cleveland, O., January 20th. 1873. 

 Lewis Ellsworth, Esq., 



President Nor. III. Horticultural Society. 

 My Dear Friend : 

 T cannot tell you how highly I felt flattered by your kind and press- 

 ing invitation to be with you at the coming festival of good feelings 

 which I am sure you will have at Freeport. And oh, how I should have 

 enjoyed meeting so many of my good friends who will be there. I beg 

 you to present me lovingly to them, and assure them that though past 

 the grand climacteric of human life, and already feeling the weight of 

 years, I knew that a few days in their midst would have rejuvenated 

 me very much. Alas I it cannot be, and my disappointment is great. 

 I send herewith some notes of the past year on new and little known 

 varieties of apples, which will hardly do to read, but may, if referred to 

 a committee, be considered worthy of a place on the record if only for 

 reference. Several are named only to be avoided. 



Please assure my good friends, many of whom I trust have been 

 seeking a better country, that it is my earnest desire, should we never 

 be favored to meet again in this world, we may have the joy of mingling 

 our praises m the realms of eternal bliss in a future state of existence. 

 I regret much not to hear yo\ir timber talks. * 



Your friend, 



Warder. 



Tn m\ friends of the Northern Illinois Horticultural Society. 



Next to meeting with you, as I had hoped to have done, I sh.ill 

 take pleasure in the thought that my presence was desired, and that 1 

 ran thus address you on paper. 



I pro])Ose to present a sketch of mv notes of the season, upon some 

 of the new and little kncnvn varieties of apples that have come under 

 mv obser\ ition. They will be arranged alphabetically. 



Abram — or Father Abraham — an old Virginia apple, but still little 

 known. I first saw it in Hlooinington, III. The great merit of this 

 variety consists in its keeping (jualities; it retains its good qualities until 

 midsummer of the next year. Tree upright, thrifty, liranrhing, twiggy, 

 productive, holds its leaves late. Fruit medium, globular, of a dull 

 grayish red, striped; sub-acid, rich; keeps good till July. 



Auf^ustine — received from Virginia. This is one of the Fall Queen 

 family, of which there are several in the catalogues benring a strong 

 family resemblance, and yet somewhat different. I may name Buck- 



