NOTES CONCERNING SISTER STATE SOCIETIES. 28? 



PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The above society, with headquarters in Philadelphia, was founded iu 1827 

 by some of the leading men of that day: Dr. Chapman, Geo. Pepper, John 

 Vaughn, Joseph Hopkinson, Nicholas Biddle, Chas. Chauncey, Horace Binuey, 

 M. Carey, D. Landreth, D. Maupay, Jno. McArau and other public-spirited 

 citizens. It has had for presidents, Horace Binney, Jos. R Iugersoll, Geo. 

 Vaux, Caleb Cope, Robt. Patterson, M. W. Baldwin, and other distinguished 

 citizens. W. L. Schaffer, recently deceased, occupied the chair for seventeen 

 years. 



President J. E. Mitchell, in speaking of the society, says: "In 1841 this 

 society had a membership of eight hundred of our best citizens, and after an 

 uninterrupted and useful life of over forty years its membership is now about 

 the same number, although our population has increased about fourfold during 

 that period; had the taste for the beautiful in nature increased in the same 

 ratio among our people, this society should now have about 3,000 members; 

 this would enable its officers to increase its attractions, add to its library, pub- 

 lish its transactions and increase the moderate money premiums now offered, 

 and thereby stimulate our florists and others to increased exertions iu improv- 

 ing the products of the garden and orchard. As this society now depends on 

 receipts from membership to carry it on, no more valuable Christmas present 

 could be made than $3.00, which constitutes a membership for a year." 



The society during the past summer met with a most serious loss in the 

 death of its accomplished and widely known secretary, Mr. A. W. Harrison. 

 At the meeting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, held immediately 

 on the receipt of the sad news, Mr Thomas Meehan, the corresponding secre- 

 tary, paid the following tribute to his memory : 



" Though in the past the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been called 

 upon to record the expression of its losses, it has surely never experienced a 

 greater than by the death of its late secretary and treasurer, Apollos Walcott 

 Harrison. For a quarter of a century he had been its brains and moving 

 spirit, punctiliously true to his trusts, making hosts of new friends and never 

 losing an old one. He joined the society on the 16th of October, 1860, entered 

 at once into actual service to aid the society, and became its secretary in March, 

 1861. In December, 1873, he was elected treasurer also. 



" He was born at Hartford, Connecticut, and was a descendant of the Harri- 

 sons famous in English history in connection with the struggle of Cromwell 

 against royalty; and on his mother's side with the Walcotts, another old Eng- 

 lish family with numerous distinguished representatives in the New England 

 States. Previous to the rebellion he was one of the leading perfumers of our 

 city, with a very large business all over the Union, but especially in the South- 

 ern States. Though with some aid from good schools in his younger days, he 

 was, in a great measure, self-educated. He had a knowledge of Latin, Greek- 

 Italian, French, and German languages, chiefly through his own unaided efforts. 



