\-ir, 



rill-: cARni-.M'.K's moxi'iii.) 



[.//-/■//. 



(•()llfi!iiiiis. Sociciit :> wtif r<iriiHii, inw iiursci- 

 ics «'«-lMl>lislifiL (MtaloLrucs pu!)lislic(l. ;iih1 w i;imi- 

 i>ral (k'siic iiiaiiitVstcil lor lu-w ami iinjirovrd 

 Imils. 



In tliis iu>\v I'uti'rpiisc. Coxc. nl' New Jorspy ; 

 llosark, Hiifl, aiul David TIiDinas, of New 

 York; Aleasi', Carr, aiul Liuidrcth, of Pennsyl- 

 vania ; Lowt-U, Manniuij and Downer of Massa- 

 <'linsetts; Yonng, of Kcntui-ky ; Smith, of Rhode 

 Island; Ives, and Minison of Cikuneetieut ; 

 <'orse, of Canada ; llildreth, Loni,Mvorth, and 

 Kirtland. of Ohio ; Corse and Uoi,'ers of Mary- 

 land: Kenicott and Dunlap, of Illinois, and 

 olIuTs — soon beeanie aetively engaeed. 



We have s])oken of the early publications of 

 Ilorlieultural Soeieties, hut there is another class 

 of ])iiblieations to which we are even more 

 indebted. In 1S1',». appeared the forerunner of 

 tlu' present host of ALrricuUural i)apers, the 

 American F(irm.ei\ which still conlinui's in a 

 jjreen old age, and it is a pleasant coincidence 

 that we meet in the city where this lirst journal 

 saw the light of day, and whose editor is the 

 Secretary of the society whose, hospitality we 

 are now enjoying. 



Then came the New England Farmer^ the 

 Genesee Farmer, and the Alhany Cultivator^ 

 through whose columns information began to be 

 widely disseminated. Then came the fruit books 

 and publications of the elder and younger Prince, i 

 Thacher, Manning, Kenrick, the Downings, | 

 John J. Thomas, Ilovey. Barry. Brinckle, War- 

 der, Hooper, Elliot, Field, Fulbn- and others. 

 Nor should we fail to mention as powerful agents 

 in advancing (he cause, Hovey's Magazine of 

 Jlorficiilturp\ the Horticulturist, the Ga'hi)EXEI!'s 

 Monthly, and the American Journal of Horti- 

 culture. Another class of pomological literature 

 deserves prominent recognition, viz. : the host 

 of descriptive catalogues. of our nur- 

 serymen, many of which are of the 

 most reliable, instructive and interesting 

 character. Ultimately, as a consummation much 

 to be desired, came the Proceedings of the Amer- 

 ican Pomological Society for the last twenty- 

 nine 3'ears, eml)racing in consolidated form the 

 reports of the A^arious States and districts, the 

 ■discussions, the catalogues of fruits adapted to 

 each section of our country, and other informa- 

 tion, such as is nowhere else to be found in the 

 history of pomological literature. Through 

 these publications the reputation of our Ameri- 

 can fruits has attracted the attention of foreign- 

 ers, so that European catalogues now possess 

 many names of American varieties. 



NECItOLOGY. 



But while I congratulate you on the prosperity 

 of our institution, on itsincreasin<; inlluence, and 

 on the lively interest manifested in its objects 

 throughout our country, I am reminded of the 

 absence of some who have labored with us for 

 the promotion of our cause. Since our last ses- 

 sion, there have been removed l)y death the fol- 

 lowing persons, wiio have held otheial positions 

 in the Society : Dr. Benjamin F. Edwards, of 

 Missouri; William Blanchard Towne, of New 



llamp>liire; Hartbtt Bryant, of Vermont: Dr. 

 Kdwin S. Hull, of Illin<>is; Daniel W. Coit, of 

 (,'(»nnec(l(U( : and Dr. .lohn S. Ilou^h(on,of Pemi- 

 sylvania. 



' Dr. Benjamin V. l-'dwards. of Kirkwood, Mis- 

 soin-i, held the olHce of Vice-President for that 

 State from IMIT lo 'Ci'.), and again in 187') ami '77. 

 He was l)oru in Darnestown. Maryland, .Inly 2, 

 17*.>7, and died at his beauliful residence iu Kirk- 

 wood, .Vpril '27, 1H77, at the ripe age of eighty 

 years, llis love of liorliculture and kin<lred itur- 

 suits commenced early in life. He was intimately 

 associated in tlu! cultur(! of the grape with .Mi-. 

 Longworth, of Ohio nnteiving cuttings from 

 him of all the nativi", and foreign grapes, which 

 he .scattered among the most enterprisiu'r of his 

 mnnerous patients, and which made ^ladison 

 county one of the first in the State in gra})e cul- 

 ture. He established a large vineyard in Jeffer- 

 son county, on the German plan of close plant- 

 ing, having fifty varieties of grapes, which he 

 eventually reduced to four: the Concord, Ives, 

 Norton and Herbemont. His interest in all mat- 

 ters pertaining to horticulture continued through 

 life. Dr. Edwards had lived in Kentucky and 

 Illinois for a time, but he finally removed to St. 

 Louis, with a great reputation as a physician, 

 which in after life he fully maintained. Even in 

 his busy profession, he constantly bought to pro- 

 mote all benevolent and Christian enterprises, 

 Ijelieving "that what he had belonged to God, 

 and was given to him to be used for His cause." 

 He was carried to his grave in a full old age, 

 universally beloved and respected. ]Many of us 

 well remember his introduction as the oldest 

 Vice-President at Chicago, and his appropriate 

 reply; also his affectionate speech at St. Louis, 

 as he placed a wreath presented by the ladies of 

 that city, on the head of your pi'esiding officer. 



William Blanchard Towne, a Vice-President 

 of this Societv for New Hampshire, was born in 

 Bow, N. II., October 12, 181U, and died suddenly 

 in Boston, April 10, 1S7G, agedG5. He was in 

 early life emiiloyed in farming; afterwards a 

 merchant in Boston. He was Treasurer of the 

 New England Historic-Genealogical Society, and 

 one of its Vici'-Presidents, and an active member 

 of the New Hampshire Historical Society; Pres- 

 ident of the Skowhegan National Bank, and the 

 Milford Five-Cent Savings Institution, and mem- 

 ber of the New Hampshire J^'gislature in l872-7:>. 

 Some years ago he purchased his father's home- 

 stead in Milford, and took a deep interest in the 

 exhibitions of his State and county. Mr. Towne 

 was a very useful man, and universally respect- 

 ed. 



Bartlett Bryant, a Vice-President of this Soci- 

 ety for the State of Vermont, was born at Han- 

 over, New Hampshire, Feb. 26. 1822, and died at 

 Derby Centre, April 26, 1876. He was from 

 earl}' life attached to the cultivation of fruits, 

 and feeling the need of hardy fruits in his region 

 he established nurseries in Stanstead, Canada 

 and in Derby Centre a>id Enosburg, Vermont, 

 introducing new fruits, and doing a large business 

 in the distribution of hardy trees in the north and 

 north-west, especially with regard to our colder 



