22 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



goods ever sold on commission in Boston ; and Mr. Wilder lived to 

 l)e the oldest merchant in the city in that line of business. His 

 business success made possible all his wider labors for the good of 

 the community. 



At the time of his removal to Boston Mr. Wilder was a husband 

 and a father, having in 1820 married Tryphosa, daughter of Dr. 

 Stephen Jewett, of Rindge, a lad^' of great personal atlractions. 

 She died, July 31, 1831, while on a visit to her native town, leav- 

 ing four children. On the 29th of August, 1833, he was united 

 in marriage to Abigail, daughter of Captain David Baker, of 

 Franklin, Mass., a lady of education, accomplishments, and piety. 

 She died of consumption at Aiken, S. C, April 4, 1854, leaving 

 five children. His third marriage, on the 18th of September, 1855, 

 was to Julia, the sister of his second wife, a lad^' admirably qual- 

 ified to console him and diffuse cheerfulness through his dwelling, 

 by whom he had two sons. Of his whole family of fourteen 

 children only five survive him. No man ever possessed stronger 

 affections, and notwithstanding his many bereavements no man 

 has been more blessed in domestic life or has enjoyed a brighter 

 and happier home. 



Mr. Wilder's horticultural tastes were no doubt largely inherited 

 from his mother. In repl}' to an inquiry made of him during the 

 last 3'ear of his life, he said that his earliest recollections of any 

 interest in fruit culture were when he assisted his mother in the 

 care of the garden in New Hampshire. There were then apple 

 orchards in the town, but he had seen only one pear tree, no other 

 than a wild grape vine, only the common red currant, the wild 

 strawberry and red raspberry, a purple plum, some small red 

 cherries, and peaches raised from stones brought from Massachu- 

 setts. The first fruit garden he ever saw was about seventy-five 

 years ago — that of Gardiner Greene in what is now Pemberton 

 Square, where the new Court House is now erecting. Here he 

 imbibed inspirations which followed him through life. 



Mr. Wilder was elected a member of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society on the 26th of June, 1830. At that time Gen. H. 

 A. S. Dearborn was President of the Society, and Mr. Wilder 

 soon became intimately associated with him, the Hon. John 

 Lowell, and other leading members, and as long as he lived 

 was one of the strongest and most judicious supporters of 

 the Society. The sudden death of his first wife led him to seek 



