TRIBUTES TO THE MEMORY OF MR. DOWNING. 



his life is long which answers life's great end," 

 whether it be drawn out to three score j'ears 

 and ten, or ended, like his, when scarcely half 

 those years have passed away. 



And now, what eulogy for the dead ? what 

 monument to the memory of our friend depart- 

 ed? This work is also finished. Throughout 

 the length and breadth of our country, wherev- 

 er the air is fragrant with the perfume of cher- 

 ished flowers, or murmurs through cultivated 

 groves and gardens, it breathes tlie praises of 

 him whose spirit more than any other, has re- 

 fined the taste, and whose knowledge guided 

 the hand of the cultivator; and the winds which 

 sweep over our forests, — "those grand old 

 woods" of oak and pine, and hemlock — already 

 celebrate the fame of him who boldly asserted 

 their right to the first rank in the world's cata- 

 logue of tlie majestic works of nature. His 

 monument ! Is it not already on every hill-top. 

 and in every valley, in every town and every 

 village, where Gothic art expresses, with its ver- 

 tical lines, in lofty towers and pointed arches, 

 aspiring Hope, and all embracing love — where 

 the encircling, over-spreading, all uniting dome 

 of Roman architecture illustrates, in public 

 halls and capitols, the sentiments of patriotism 

 and unity? 



He has, indeed, " erected a monument more 

 enduring than brass." His memory! Is it not 

 already beautifully entwined with the vine that 

 encircles the stately columns on the banks of 

 our noble liveis, or hangs from the humble 

 porch of the tree-sheltered cottage? Who 

 among us has built him a house, or planted a 

 vinej'ard, or reared a rare flower, uninfluenced 

 by his taste? Who. in town or country, does 

 not cherish an abiding sentiment of gratitude 

 and love towards one whose life it was to refine 

 and elevate the hearts of men, turning them 

 from gain and worldliness, to the ajipreciation 

 of the beautiful in the works of Him who has 

 not in vain, for his creatures, spread out the 

 landscape, and made the woods vocal, and the 

 air fragrant? No; of all who have thus sud- 

 denly perished, 



" He will not float upon liis watery bier 

 Unwept." 



With no desire to .sketch his every-day life, oi- 

 coldly to analyze his character as an author or 

 an artist, but under the first impulse of the min- 

 gled feelings of sadness, of att'ection. of bereave- 

 ment, which must find a wide sympathy through- 

 out our country, as his melancholy fate becomes 

 known, this notice of our departed friend has 

 been written. 



" HEAVEN KEEP HIS MEMORY GREEN." 



Cincinnati Hort. Society, 



On Saturday, July 81, at the opening of the 

 meeting, the President arose and announced to 

 the Society that the telegraphic account of the 



loss of the steamboat Henry Clay, on the North 

 River, contained a report of the death of A. J. 

 Downing, Editor of the Horticulturist, the 

 friend of horticultural science in the United 

 States. Members expressed an earnest hope 

 that there might be a mistake in the telegraj)!!, 

 even though it were hoping against hope. 



Mr. Heaver moved that R. Buchanan, A. H. 

 Ernst, and S. Mosher, be appointed a commit- 

 tee to draft resolutions expressive of the deep 

 sympathy felt by our Society in the supposed 

 loss of this eminent friend of horticulture; and 

 in the hope that we may have been misinform- 

 ed, to withhold their report to next week. A 

 general gloom pervaded the Society, every man 

 feeling that he had lost a friend. 



At the next meeting the committee rendered 

 the following report, which was silently adopted 

 by the Society: 



The sad intelligence of the loss of the steamer 

 Henry Clay on the Hudson river, causing the 

 untimely death of a great number of our friends 

 and fellow-citizens, has been confirmed. Among 

 the lost, we are called upon to lament the death 

 of our distinguished and zealous fellow-laboier 

 in the cause of horticultural science and rural 

 taste, A. J. Downing, of Newburgh, New- York, 

 editor of the Horticulturist, and corresponding 

 member of this Society: therefore, 



Rcfiolved, By the Cincinnati Horticultural 

 Society, that in his death we have lost a most 

 valuable friend and contributor to the cause in 

 which we are engaged, and that the country has 

 to dei)ltire one of its most valuable promoters 

 of refinement in rural taste. 



Resolved, That we sympathize sincerely with 

 his family and fiiends in the deep affliction and 

 bereavement which it has pleased the Almighty 

 disposer of events to visit u[)on them in so un- 

 timely and unexpected a manner. 



Resolved, Tiiat a copy of the foregoing ])re- 

 amble and resolutions be forwarded to the be- 

 reaved wife and lamily of the deceased. 



The following resolution was offered by 

 Richard Davis, seconded by M. Kelly, at a 

 late meeting: 



Resolved, That the members of this Society 

 and hoiticiilturists generally, be solicited to 

 raise a subscription for the purpose of erecting 

 a monument to the memory of A. J. Downing, 

 Esq, 



It was next moved by Mr. Ives that a com- 

 mittee of three be appointed to carry out the 

 spirit of the foregoing resolution. Messrs. 

 Hatch, Kelly and Warder were appointed. 



