320 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[October, 



had already opened a new era in America, giving 

 promise of equal or greater success with that 

 attained by the most experienced masters of the 

 old world. His book established his reputation 

 both at home and abroad, and his late article on 

 "Old and New Roses," in the Century Magazine, 

 added still further to it. 



Mr. EUwangerhad been a constant attendant at 

 our sessions for many years, and is well remem- 

 bered as reporting at our last meeting for his 

 father, then in Europe, on " Foreign Fruits." 



How mysterious this Providence ! It is only 

 six weeks, at this writing, since he was sitting by 

 my side and expressing the great interest which he 

 felt in the hybridization of the rose, and his hope 

 that although we may not be able to paint the 

 lily, we may yet " add perfume to the rose." 



Mr. EUwanger was of most amiable disposition 

 and courteous manners, and a Christian gentle- 

 man, having recently been invested with Deacon's 

 Orders in the Episcopal Church. His death is 

 universally and deeply deplored. 



These and other friends have gone before us to 

 that better land where we trust they are now 

 partaking of fruits from the tree of life that perish 

 not with their use. Thus one after another of our 

 associates are passing away, and ere long all 

 the founders of our Society will have joined the 

 countless millions of the departed ; but others will 

 rise up and carry forward the designs which have 

 been formed for the promotion of our cause. But 

 let us not murmur or repine at the providence of 

 God. This is the order of nature, — this the lot of 

 all sublunary life — 



Fruits have their time to ripen and fall, 

 Leaves have their time to wither and dry, 

 Man has his time to ttnurish and fade, 

 All mns^t be cut by Time'i* ruthless blade. 

 But though the fruits of earth may all fail 

 And none be left to tell the sad tale, 

 Still there's a land of promise on high 

 Where fruits never fail, men never die. 

 (To be concluded.) 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



American Pomological Society and the 

 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. — The 

 combined meetings in Philadelphia were very suc- 

 cessful. The absence of Col. Wilder was uni- 

 versally regretted, as was that of first Vice-President, 

 Mr. Barry. Mr. Strong, from the list of State 

 Vice-Presidents, did admirable service as tempor- 

 ary Chairman. Mr. Berckmans was elected 

 finally as first Vice-President, much to his surprise, 

 but to the great satisfaction of the body. It is not 

 often that two birds are killed by one stone, though 

 it is often attempted. On this occasion the Horti- 

 cultural exhibition, and the numerous attractions 

 of Philadelphia, had some influence. 



At the opening of one morning session, though 

 an hour had been spent over time in waiting for an 

 audience, only one member was present when the 

 call to order came. However they soon filled up, 

 and for an hour or two each day there were more 

 than a usual average number of members present. 

 Still Pears, Apples and some other fruits usually 

 discussed, had to go over, and several essays will 



have to remain till the proceedings appear. Pro- 

 fessor Riley's essay on Insects was read, and 

 deemed very profitable, by all the listeners. Much 

 discussion prevailed regarding a check to outrage- 

 ous names for fruit ; and some new rules were 

 adopted, in the hope that they might aid in the 

 suppression of the nuisance. In the discussion of 

 the fruit lists, varieties which were merely valuable 

 to amateurs, or which required a little horticultural 

 skill to bring to perfection, found little favor. The 

 Catawissa Raspberry was wholly stricken out, and 

 other Autumn bearers, with English Gooseberries 

 only kept in by a bare vote, while another variety 

 of fruit, which one speaker said was "immensely 

 profitable but unfit to eat," had many supporters. 

 It may be well for the Society to consider the pro- 

 priety of getting up a separate amateur from the 

 regular market list. Col. M. P. Wilder was re- 

 elected President, W. J. Beal, Secretary ; Grand 

 Rapids the place of next meeting ; and five Wilder 

 medals distributed. There were other worthy ex- 

 hibits, but the committee wisely decided that the 

 greater the distribution, the less the honor. 



The Horticultural Society made one of its best 

 exhibits. There was less to make the lover of 

 excellence in skilful culture blush than seen for 

 many years, and many things were really well 

 grown. The practice of not putting on the growers' 

 names is still maintained, and we are not converted 

 from our old-fashioned notions, that it is not a good 

 thing. After the Judges had been around, many 

 of the commercial men put their own cards on 

 them, but we saw no names on any of the ama- 

 teurs' collections, or those of the trade who were 

 unable of themselves to be present. A very pleas- 

 ant change was in the presence of flowering plants, 

 which had come to be replaced, almost wholly, by 

 leafy things. 



The cut-flower ornaments were far superior to 

 anything ever seen at an exhibition on this conti- 

 nent, so far as the neat care and tasteful execution 

 of the work was concerned. How to ornament 

 and decorate, was however still subservient to the 

 old notion that the article itself had to be manu- 

 factured, as well as decorated. We should like to 

 see the chair on which our friend used to sit, 

 appropriately dressed with suggestive flowers — or 

 even the Bible he read from, have some floral 

 emblems about them, suggestive of his last pres- 

 ence. But a " Bible of flowers," or an " Empty 

 chair," in the way they are given to us, has httle 

 meaning. Still, these things serve to remind us 

 that there is an art in floral decoration, well worth 

 encouraging. 



Fruits showed great progress. At one time it 

 was a complaint that there was a deficiency in 

 white varieties of grapes. Now, if anything, there 

 is an over abundance, and it becomes an impossi- 

 bility for a fair minded judge to recommend any 

 one over another. All we can say is that the 

 number of good ones is so great, that few will go 

 wrong in taking any one that has fair recommenda- 

 tions. It is getting to be so with many other 

 classes of fruit. The introducer who wishes for 

 great success, must not only show that his pet is 

 first rate — he must prove that it is better than the 

 numerous first rate kinds offered. 



