THE ANNUAL MEETING. 195 



Champion grape (Talmaii), was spoken of as being sold in Canada under 

 the new name, BeaconsGeld. 



Isadore Bush, of Missouri, remarked that they niusfc look to natives of the 

 lower Mississippi and Missouri for varieties to succeed with them, and that 

 grape culture must depend on wine making for a large market, lie named 

 Elvira as the best to resist disease, and also Noah as a newer sort possessing 

 similar qualities. 



The committee on fruits exhibited, reported that they found on exhibition 

 859 plates of apples, 517 plates of pears, IG plates of peaches, 409 plates of 

 grapes and 37 plates of miscellaneous fruits — an aggregate of 1,838 plates. 



Instead of an evening session, the society accepted the invitation of Mr. D. 

 W. Powers to visit his picture gallery and other rooms, which had been opened 

 for the occasion, and to a horticultural collation prepared for the members of the 

 society. An hour or two was very pleasantly devoted to an examination of the 

 various gems of art collected here, after which the members collected in a large 

 hall adjacent, which had been beautifully fitted up with tables, etc., for the 

 occasion, and where we were treated to a fine collation, followed by a series of 

 toasts, with responses by such gentlemen as Barry, Warder, Strong, Thomas, 

 and others, at the conclusion of which the gathering dispersed, to reassemble 

 on the morrow for their final session. 



On assembling on the last (Friday) morning, the attendance was consider- 

 ably diminished by the departure of members for their homes. 



A proposition was submitted by S. C. Carsons, of Long Island, JST. Y., look- 

 ing to the formation of a national horticultural society; and proposing a com- 

 mittee to take the matter under consideration and report at a subsequent meet- 

 ing. After considerable discussion it was decided that the society had enough 

 to do to care for pomology, and the proposition was therefore tabled. 



The committee on fruits exhibited, by its chairman, P. J. Berckmans, of 

 Georgia, reported an award of a large number of Wilder medals for meritorious 

 articles exhibited, among which was one to the Michigan State Pomological 

 Society, for its display; but in consideration of the fact that nearly the entire 

 exhibit from Michigan was contributed from the Grand River Valley Horticul- 

 tural Society, including the beautiful display of grapes from Mr. Edward 

 Bradfield, your delegation (or, at least, those of them who were within reach), 

 were agreed that the medal should go to that society, and the committee were 

 requested to amend their report accordingly. 



The society invited Mr. Husmann, of Missouri, to speak of some of the seed- 

 ling grapes of his state. He named the Elvira as the best. He also spoke of 

 the Amber, Pearl, Beauty, Black Taylor and Uland as promising varieties, the 

 basis of their value being their adaptation to the production of wine. 



The society next turned its attention to the discussion of the early peaches. 



Saul, of Washington, said the Wilder ripened with him from the Gth to the 

 loth of July. 



Lyon, of Michigan, found it to ripen this year with Amsden and Alexander, 

 about the 25th of July. 



Hape, of Georgia, fruited the Downing, Saunders and Wilder, this year; 

 and found the Wilder four days later than Alexander. The Downing was the 

 finest of the three. 



Purdy, of N. Y., picked Alexanders at night and found them unfit to ship 

 next morning. He doubted the profitableness of early peaches at the north. 

 His experience in this respect was considered exceptional, as several others had 

 experienced no sucii difficulty, under similar circumstances. 



