MEMOIR OF HON. MARSHALL P. WILDER. 29 



Philip Schu3'ler, who sat on the right hand of the President. An 

 engraved representation of the festival in 1848 (also at Faneuil 

 Hall) was published in the " Horticnltnrist " for November of 

 that 3'ear, and copied into the "Flore des Serres." 



It was also during Mr. Wilder's presidency that the imperial 

 octavo Transactions of the Society, with colored plates of fruits 

 and flowers by the best artists, were publi-hed, much in the style 

 of the "Transactions of the London Horticultural Society," from 

 which the idea was doubtless taken. Three numbevs were pub- 

 lished, making one volume. 



On the 28th of July, 1848, after a correspondence with other 

 societies in regard to the expediency of holding a national con- 

 vention of fruit growers, Mr. Wilder, as Chairman of a Commit- 

 tee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, in connection 

 with similar committees of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and 

 New Haven Horticultural Societies and the Board of Ao-riculture 

 of the American Institute of the City of New York, headed a call 

 for such a convention, which accordingly met on the 10th of Octo- 

 ber, in New York. This measure proved to be of an importance 

 not anticipated at that time ; for this American Congress of Fruit 

 Growers, as it was styled, consolidated in 1849 with the North 

 American Pomological Convention which held its first meeting at 

 Buffalo, N. Y"., September 1, 1848, (the united societies being known 

 as the American Pomological Congress) has effected more for the 

 advancement of pomology than any other association in the world ; 

 and its publications have become a standard authority on the sub- 

 ject. On the organization of the American Congress of Fruit 

 Growers Mr. Wilder was chosen President, and with the excep- 

 tion of one year, when owing to a death in his farailj' he was 

 unable to be present at the meeting, held the office of President of 

 the American Pomological Society (the name adopted in 1852) 

 until his death. This was perhaps the best loved by him of all 

 the many associations with which he was connected. The ad- 

 dresses which the By-Laws of the Society require the President to 

 deliver at the biennial sessions were punctuallj- prepared by him 

 and form a series of great interest. 



On Mr. Wilder's retirement from the Presidency of the Horti- 

 cultural Society at the close of the year 1848 he was presented with 

 a silver pitcher and salver of the value of one hundred and fifty dol- 

 lars, as a testimonial of the appreciation by the Society of his services 



