1909] Dr. Fletcher as a Leader. 219 



dresses likewise he led us by ways that were pleasant, and 

 taught us how to collect, classify and preserve plants and 

 insects or other objects of natural history. He was ever 

 teaching all who attended the outings and soirees these funda- 

 mental principles in acquiring material for study. In the work 

 of the Club, Dr. Fletcher was facile princeps and was our Leader 

 par excellence. 



Well do I recall at this time the first excursion which the 

 Clul) had to King's Mountain, Chelsea. What a glorious day! 

 What a glorious Leader! His l^uoyant nature, cheery disposi- 

 tion and winning ways attracted as so many magnets, and 

 oftimes the geological and the entomological as well as other 

 branches joined the botanical section, because he as the Leader' 

 drew everyone, from the child — eager to learn evervthing 

 about Nature — to the older members and visitors. 



He saw beauty, order and use in everything, and the world 

 about him filled his life with numberless surprises and treasures. 

 He was at one with Nature and she revealed herself to him as 

 she does to but few. His enthusiasm w^as catching and he 

 imparted not a little of it to his friends and associates. 



No one can estimate his worth, for he was everything that 

 one can imagine to us as a Club and to many scientific societies 

 and institutes in our land. He understood the relations exist- 

 ing between the plant world and the insect w^orld to a remark- 

 able degree. It was this keen perception and accurate knowl- 

 edge that led him to take such a deep interest in our farming 

 communities. 



How eagerly and zealously he guarded their interests and 

 spoke in their behalf at the Sessions of the Agricultural Com- 

 mLittees of the House of Commons when he was stationed 

 in the Library of Parliament. And what a central and at- 

 tractive spot that Library of Parliament was to us vounger 

 naturalists in the 70's and early 80's. 



His work at the Central Experimental Farm, whither he 

 was called in 1888, took him wholly into the realm which he 

 loved and cherished. 



We deem ourselves fortunate — though now deeply sorrow- 

 iul — to have been permitted, many of us for so many years, 

 to have accompanied such a Leader into so many paths of 

 pleasure in this neighborhood and elsewhere. His deeds were 

 many and good. His energies were spent for the welfare of 

 all with whom he came into contact. In his death the Club 

 has lost its greatest friend and supporter and Leader. We owe 

 liim a deep debt of gratitude which years of service in the same 

 cause can only begin to express. 



Those of us, who followed him in many of his outings 



