POMOLOGICAL CONGRESS. 



fied soil and climate, to show what each state can produce, both naturally, and by the aid 

 of high culture, and a more beautiful and interesting display, it is not easy to find in any 

 country. 



But the interest of the thing does not — as in most horticultural societies — the common 

 schools of horticulture — stop here. Tn foct, it just commences where those of the socie- 

 ties end. It commences by the discussion — free to all interested in such topics — of the 

 various subjects within the scope of the congress, such as the culture of fruits generally, 

 the comparative merits of different varieties in various parts of the whole Union, the 

 unanimous or partial approval of some varieties — the unanimous or partial condemna- 

 tion of others; interspersed with lively descriptions of various modes of cultivating, and 

 different degrees of success or failure, all which have the deepest interest for every man 

 who owns a patch of ground which he either cultivates, or hopes to cultivate. When we 

 add to this, that most of the speeches are made by men who are really the 3^eomanry of 

 the country, who, though they deal in few flowers of rhetoric, illustrate their strong po- 

 sitions by " showing their hands" with good fruits in them, as the best proof of what 

 they and mother earth can do; men whose opinions may lastingly damn or establish the 

 character of a pear, but who, at least, never " pair off," (like their namesakes in the 

 capitol,) to avoid giving their honest opinions. 



Judging from the previous sessions of the Pomological Congress, we have no fear of 

 want of either interest or numbers at Philadelphia. All that we fear is, that the members 

 will come with plenty of ideas — but ideas badly arranged and digested. As it is true 

 that the great majority of delegates sent there, are men who are full of experience, and 

 precisely that experience which it is desirable to get out of them for the good of the pub- 

 lic, it is no less true, according to our observation, that they are not men in the habi( of 

 condensing their thoughts, or so arranging their ideas, as to present their experience in the 

 shortest and clearest manner. This is all from the want of the habit of turning the sub- 

 ject over in their own minds, and so putting it in order, that they can most clearly impart 

 their knowledge and experience to others. It is also true, that manj^ whose dut}^ it is to 

 report to the Congress on the condition of the fruit culture of their own district, neglect 

 to prepare or arrange anj' materials till the ver^'^ week of the meeting, or perhaps till the 

 very day when it takes place. Hence, much of the general value of the comparative re- 

 sults are lost to the assembled bod3', because thej?^ cannot be digested and prepared by the 

 chairman till the meeting is over. We state these facts now, for the purpose of urging 

 them upon the attention of the chairmen in the different states, and begging them to make 

 memoranda and collect materials for their reports from this moment — that of the ripen- 

 ing of the earliest cherry to the time of the meeting itself. 



Now that the fruit growing of the country is no longer a pleasant pastime merely — 

 but produces many millions of profit to the country at large, it is worth while for the 

 leading cultivators to lemember that their biennial Congress, which, as we have said, is 

 our horticultural university is about to assemble this season, and every one interested is 

 expected to do his duty in the furtherance of all the interests which it seeks to advance. 



