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POMOLOGICAL CONVENTION— COMMEMORATIVE TREES. 



POMOLOGICIAL CONVENTION AT BURLINGTON. 



In compliance with the notice of the North-West- 

 ern Fruit Growers' Association, the meeting assem- 

 bled at Burlington, Iowa, on the 25th of September, 

 and continued the 2Glh and 27th. The attendance 

 was large, comprising all persons interested in Fruit 

 culture, amateurs, fruit, growers, and nurserymen, from 

 various parts of the United States ; and as fur the ex- 

 hibition of fruit, it was undoubtedly the finest ever 

 made in this country, and proliably in the world. 



Contributions of fruit were made from all sections, 

 some very large from "Western New York, and all 

 well grown for their ri.=pective localities. 



Most of those present from the Eastern States were 

 greatly astonished at the size and beauty of all 

 the varieties of apples and pears grown in the Missis- 

 sippi Valley, comprising mostly the' States of Illinois 

 and Iowa ; and some of our western friends took par- 

 ticular delight in comparing the eastern fruits with 

 the same kinds grown west. 



The fruits from this section could hardly claim any 

 relationship with the same sorts produced by the deep, 

 rich, alluvial soils of the west ; in fact there was hard- 

 ly any comparison, as all the western iruits were from 

 fifty to one hundred per cent, larger than the same 

 kinds grown in this section. In many cases, the dis- 

 tinctive characteristics of many varieties were entirely 

 obliterated, so that it was very difficult, and, some- 

 times utterly impossible, to recognise the same spe- 

 cies when grown, as they were, in such difierent local- 

 ities. 



Mr. A. Fkost brought with him, from Burlington, 

 specimens of apples and pears which were displayed 

 in the Arcade in this city; Truly we never had such 

 apples and pears here before. Yellow Bellflower, 

 Greening, Rambo, JVewtoun Pippin, and Maiden's 

 Blush apples, and some sorts of pears, were almost 

 marvellous. 



An able address was delivered by Mr. Bakey, be- 

 fore the Society, which was well received. 



The Society adjourned to hold its next annual 

 meeting in this city, next autumn, in connection with 

 the United States Pomological and Horticultural 

 Society of the Valley of the Genesee. 



COMMEMORATIVE TREES. 



In England there yet exists trees that point back 

 to the manners of our ancestors — such as the Gospel 

 Oaks, under whose shade oui forefathers were accus- 

 tomed to assemble to hear sermons; in the same man- 

 ner as at a later date our markets and other crosses 

 were the cites selected for religious instruction to the 



assembled crowd. It was at Paul's Cross that ( 

 of the brightest ornaments of our church had nea 

 lost his life by the exposure to rain end wind, 

 having recovered from his illness, in the gratitude 

 his heart offered to do anything which his care 

 nurte and landlady demanded of him, in return 

 her unwearied attention. She said " marry my dau; 

 ter," and the divine obeyed the mandate. This 

 ecdote is merely introduced to show at how recen 

 date preaching in the open air was common in E 

 land, and as we may suppose that in country pla 

 the practice of preaching under trees might have c 

 tinued long after it had been discontinued in tow 

 there seems every probability that those venera 

 remains, joying in the distinction of Gospel Oa 

 were in the hwty vigor ot their manhood, so to spe 

 the identical trees selected, and thus traditionf 

 confirming a curious phase of our history. Hen 

 Oak, that thousands as well as myself have mad 

 pilgrimage to see, as is well known, is not the ver 

 ble ( n3 (it is a pity to know itj, but the one that i 

 uprooted in George lll.'s time in all probability ^ 

 that tree of some ghostly legend in the time of ' 

 Shakespeare, and which, owing to the merry w-i' 

 conceit, had preserved its identity almost to our o 

 time.0. Nor can we forget the Mulberry planted 

 the bard's own hands; and it takes a vast efibrt 

 forgive its ruthless destroyer. How much pure gr 

 fication has he deprived not f^nglishmen alone of, 

 the cultivated and refined of all nations. The 

 cumstances alluded to are of national interest; 

 how many thousand commemorative trees exist t 

 are of family notoriety only? and to such most dee « 

 interesting. A knoll upon an estate, where I h 

 recently been employed, is called "Bunker's H 

 and upon comparing the age of the Elm trees, v 

 the date of the engagement, I find a very near 

 proach to years and annual layers of woody accu! 

 lation. I will give one more instance of a family 

 ture that I was connected with ; a friend of mine 

 been married to his wife fifty years ; there wa 

 gathering of soift and daughters and grandchild 

 and each one assisted to plant an Oak in such a ir 

 ner that the whole should ultimately form a strik 

 group in after years. Each of these trees were knc 

 to persons on the estate by the names of the pers 

 who assisted to plant them. It has occurred to 

 that persons having gardens might make them 

 deeper interest by the power of association, and, 

 way of illustration, I will relate what has occurrec 

 myself. Some years ago I was conversing with 

 late Sir WiLLLiii Garrow upon the delight I leii 

 possessing any plant that was mentioned by Virc 

 he said he could add to my collection by giving 

 a plant of Bay that was taken from his tomb. I p 

 sess the plant yet, and it slightly differs from thai 

 common cultivation. Napoleon Willows will 

 come in fashion again if the President maintains 

 friendly relations with England; for everything 

 lating to his uncle is with a large party in France m 

 present in high estimation. The late poet Laurbj i 

 Wordsworth, the author of that noble poem, " 1 

 Excursion," and the "Prelude," not enough knowr 

 the author of the lyrical ballads — sent me a Lau ir, 

 from Eydal Mount, which I need not say I cherish, 

 William Masters, in London Gardener's Chron . 



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