154 MINNESOTA STATE HORTldULTURAL SOCIETY. 



has represented the society on several important occasions, at one 

 time being secretary of its committee of exhibition at the Centennial 

 Exposition, when he arranged the Wisconsin exhibit. He also 

 collected the Wisconsin Gold Medal exhibit of apples at the New 

 Orleans Exposition. He was a member at one time of the general 

 fruit committee of the National Society. He had in charge the 

 preparation of the horticultural history of Wisconsin for the semi- 

 centennial of the state. He was authority on Wisconsin fruits, and 

 no man was more competent to judge of the value of a new species 

 of fruit for propagation in this climate. 



One of Mr. Plumb's most important contributions to Wisconsin 

 horticulture is the "Plumb's Cider" apple. This apple is one of 

 several seedlings which the Plumb family brought from Ohio. 

 This variety proving to be a fine apple, they propagated it, and it 

 has been grown extensively in Wisconsin and probably throughout 

 the northwest. 



Mr. Plumb was a member of the Congregational [ church for 

 fifty-nine years, and was of great service in the Milton church, 

 holding offices of importance most of the time since his first 

 connection with it, thirty-one years ago. He was greatly interested 

 in Sunday school work at home and throughout the state. He was 

 also an ardent prohibitionist in politics, and an enemy of evil of all 

 kinds. He was a member of the Milton College board, and has 

 often furnished work for many a needy student. 



Mr. Plumb was twice married. His first wife died in 1875. He 

 was the father of twelve children, eight of whom still survive him. 



Rev. a. L. McClelland, Milton, Wis. 



The sudden death of our faithful, energetic and time-honored life 

 member, Mr. J. C. Plumb, again reminds us that the older workers 

 among us are surely passing away. When I learned of his death at 

 once my thoughts went back three months to his letter to me in 

 response to an invitation I sent him, asking him to meet with us — 

 with other veterans I had invited — and>eada paper on some subject 

 he might choose. He at once accepted, saying : "I have for some 

 years thought of writing something on the origin and history of 

 our best Wisconsin seedlings, and this winter I feel that with the 

 cares of a busy life and the weight of three score and ten years 

 resting heavily on me, that if I ever present that paper for publica- 

 tion, I had better do it at our coming meeting." His many friends 

 who did not hear it read will be anxious to see it in print, 



Mr. Plumb was a great writer, and with all his pressing duties at 

 home was always ready to write to those who were asking for 

 information, giving them his best thoughts. Since Uncle Peter 

 Peffer passed away, I have always referred questions on naming 

 varieties to Mr. Plumb, and have felt that when he could not do it 

 so he was certain what it was, there was little use to ask any one 

 else. I have been impressed for years that no member in our 

 society had traveled more miles or had worked harder to gain 

 information on the geological formation of our state in connection 

 with apple growing, than J. C. Plumb, and I believe no member was 

 better posted on that eubject than he. 



