17 



humor as well as asperity, " Heaven grant that these 

 gentlemen may be enabled to see better for the fu- 

 ture" — though he intimates that they are only light- 

 ing a torch to exhibit an act of ignorance and the 

 grossest vandalism. 



For near half a century he has been patiendy pur- 

 suing his labors disseminadng new and almost per- 

 fect varieties of healthful fruit. He says "his sole end 

 has always been to multiply those which are good 

 and enable the world to enjoy them." He has per- 

 severed through disappointments which would have 

 broken any one not moved by high and the best mo- 

 tives, and with a zeal which a genuine love of his 

 labors and a desire to benefit mankind creates. Up- 

 on being reminded that there were some omissions in 

 his catalogues of data, which might be serviceable, he 

 repUes modestly " that his intention has not been to 

 establish a science, but rather to do a good act, which 

 would be immediately useful by the dissemination of 

 good fruits." 



As poorly, gendemen, as I may have set forth the 

 theory, and spoken upon the labors and virtues of 

 this our friend and correspondent, yet I thought it 

 would not be proper to allow this festival of the So- 

 ciety to pass without noticing them particularly, and 

 being willing on our part to bear witness to the im- 

 portance of his labors and discoveries — discoveries, 

 showing us a process of nature directly bearing upon 

 cultivation, as simple as it is beaudful. 



The success of the past year has been such as to 

 encourage us to proceed in our labors with fresh zeal. 

 The service of the Society to the cause of Horticul- 

 3 



