FRUIT CULTURE. 85 



THE CULTURE OF FRUIT. 



From an Address liefore tho AniRrican Pomological Society, by Marshall P. Wilder, President, 

 and published, by request, in the " Transactions " of tho Norfolli Agricultural Society. 



Amidst the rapid strides of the arts and sciences in our time, 

 it is gratifying to know that Pomology has not been stationary. 

 Few subjects exhibit so remarkably the progress of civilization 

 and improvement, as the cultivation of fruit. It is now only 

 about a quarter of a century since the establishment of the 

 oldest horticultural society in America. Then, these associa- 

 tions were few and feeble ; now they are numerous and influen- 

 tial, extending from the British Provinces to the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and from ocean to ocean, — all working together in harmony 

 with each other, and aiding our association, whose field is our 

 national domain. Then, the fruit crop of the country was not 

 deemed worthy of a place in our national statistics ; now it 

 exceeds thirty millions of dollars annually, and is rapidly 

 becoming one of the most valuable and indispensable products 

 of our republic. Then the sales of fruit trees were numbered 

 by hundreds, now by hundreds of thousands. Then choice 

 fruit was a luxury to be found only in the palace of the opu- 

 lent ; now it helps to furnish the table of the humble cottager, 

 and comparatively few are the hamlets which are without their 

 fruit tree or grape vine. 



It is only eight years since the organization of this Pomologi- 

 cal Society ; now, kindred associations exist in various districts 

 and States, and are exerting a powerful and salutary influence. 

 Their delegates and representatives I am most happy to wel- 

 come to a participation in the privileges of this occasion. 



This improvement is full of promise, and encourages us to 

 greater perseverance. When we look back to the days of 

 Duhamcl, Miller, and Forsyth, we perceive that we have made 

 laudable progress. When we compare those numerous splen- 

 did varieties which we have obtained, with the limited cata- 



