282 MASSACHUSETTS HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Randall H. Crowell, formerly of Chelsea, ^Massachusetts, 

 died at Watertown, Massachusetts, October 12, 1909, at the age of 

 76. He had been a member of the Society since 1871. 



Samuel Exdicott Peabody, a member of the Society since 

 1899, died at his home in Salem, JNIassachusetts, October 30, 1909, 

 at the age of 84 years and 6 months. 



Sewall Fisher, formerly of Framingham, Massachusetts, and 

 a member of the Society since 1SS3, died at his residence in Boston, 

 December 5, 1909. Mr. Fisher was born in Franklin, Massachu- 

 setts, November 9, 1 834. His early life was spent on the farm until 

 1866 when he went to Framingham and began the culture of plants 

 and flowers under glass, making carnations a specialty. Only a 

 few varieties then known were winter bloomers. The question 

 was how to increase and improve the winter-blooming carnation. 

 His first effort was in growing seedlings, using the best seed to be 

 obtained. The result was entire failure. The same year (1866) 

 a single flower of Pres. De Graw escaped catting and ripened about 

 thirty seeds which in due time gave a few plants blooming in the 

 winter so much better than the parent as to greatly encourage him 

 to further study and ultimately to the crossing of varieties or cross 

 breeding. 



Success folloAved and improved sorts and new colors were the 

 result, some of which attracted the attention of flower growers. 

 Up to this time he was, so far as he kncAv, the only one who was 

 trying to improve the carnation in this way by crossing. He made 

 no secret of methods but imparted to others the results of his study 

 and growers with greater facilities entered the field. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society awarded him several 

 Certificates of Merit ami a Bronze Medal for new sorts of probable 

 value. 



The greater part of this brief sketch of Mr. Fisher's life was 

 written by himself some time before his death. 



Henry A. Wilder of ]\Ialden, INIassachusetts, a member of the 

 Society since 1866, died at his home in that city December 16, 

 1909, in his 86th vear. 



