3i6 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[October, 



July 9th, 1802, and died at his home in that city 

 January i8th, 1885. His death is to me a most 

 afflictive event. We were associated together for 

 nearly half a century in efforts to advance the 

 pomology of our country. Succeeding, as he did, 

 his brother, A. J. Downing, whose eulogy it was 

 my sad duty to pronounce thirty-two years ago, he 

 became the editor of the Fruits and Fruit Trees 

 of America, all the editions of which have been 

 dedicated to my name from the first. These cir- 

 cumstances have drawn us more and more closely 

 together by the ties of affection and friendly 

 regard. 



As a pomologist, he was world-renowned for his 

 knowledge, accuracy, and good judgment, and as 

 such had a longer experience than any other man 

 of whom I have any record in this or any other 

 country. His books will ever be precious memor- 

 ials of good fruits and good men ; of a life whose 

 great object was to make others happy in the 

 enjoyment of the beauties and bounties of creation' 

 and which has been a blessing to our world. 



For more than a generation, he edited the Fruits 

 and Fruit Trees of America, first written by his 

 brother forty years ago. With the progress and 

 expansion of pomology, this work grew under his 

 hand to such an exteijt that he might well have 

 claimed to be the author ; yet, with characteristic 

 modesty, he preferred to lay his laurels upon his 

 brother's grave. This encyclopaedic work, in its 

 many successive editions, is now the authority in 

 regard to the multitude of fruits described in it. 



Charles Downing is dead, but his spirit is still 

 with us, and will continue to inspire our souls, and 

 the souls of those who shall succeed us, as long as 

 a love of the beautiful in nature, of rural pleasures 

 and of domestic comfort shall have a place in the 

 heart of mankind. His star has now set. but it has 

 left a golden record which shall illumine the 

 annals of pomology, while the earth shall bring 

 forth the fruits which he so much loved. His 

 works are a rich legacy to the American people, 

 and an enduring monument to his memoiy. 



Although it has not been our custom to refer to 

 the decease of members who had not been officially 

 connected with us, I cannot refrain from express- 

 ing the deep regret which has been generally felt 

 on account of the deaths of two of our members 

 who held the highest positions in the Horticultural 

 Societies of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, 

 whose hospitalities we have several times enjoyed. 



Hon. W. L. Schaffer had for seventeen years 

 held the office of President of the Pennsylvania 

 Horticultural Society, and had been still longer 



in other official positions. He was much devoted 

 to the interests of that Society, and the advance- 

 ment of our cause. 



Hon. Francis B. Hayes was in the fifth year of 

 his Presidency of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society. He was much interested in Horticultuie, 

 especially in the introduction of new shrubs and 

 plants for the adornment of his country residence, 

 expending large sums of money for this object, 

 and was one of the largest and most constant con- 

 tributors to the exhibitions of the Society over 

 which he so ably presided. 



Both of these gentlemen were taken from us 

 last year ; they will long be remembered for their 

 love of Horticulture, and their labors in promoting 

 it, and will long be mourned, not only by their 

 respective Societies, but by those of this Society 

 who remember them as presiding whh dignity and 

 grace at the banquets given to us on our last visits 

 to Boston and Philadelphia. 



WHAT OUR SOCIETY HAS ACCOMPLISHED". 



When we reflect on the unsettled and chaotic 

 condition of pomology in our country when our 

 Society was established, the narrow limits to which 

 fruit culture was confined, and the few engaged in 

 it, and compare it with the immense territory now 

 occupied for this purpose, and its importance as a 

 great industry of our country, I think it may be 

 well to take a retrospective view and see what our 

 S'ociety has accomplished. 



Its formation opened a new era of enterprise in 

 the annals of American Pomology, which has no 

 parallel in those of other lands. It was the first 

 great national pomological society, embracing in 

 its organization the largest area for fruit culture in 

 the world, where almost every fruit of every zone 

 may be grown in perfection. 



It has brought into close communion of interest, 

 and concert of action, the most experienced and 

 skilful pomologists of our country; and by its 

 proceedings and publications has furnished ex- 

 amples and methods of work which have been 

 adopted by other pomological and horticultural 

 societies, all working harmoniously together, and 

 thus has become the acknowledged pomological 

 authority of our land. 



It is truly an American Society, having, through 

 all the vicissitudes of the past, held in the bonds 

 of friendly intercourse for the promotion of our 

 cause, the North, East, West and the South, and 

 every region where fruits can be grown on this 

 continent. 



It has raised the standard of excellence by 

 which our fruits are judged, discouraged the culti- 



