138 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



b^' his careful experiments in liybriilization and fruit culture laid 

 the horticulturists of all nations under heavy obligations to hira. 

 The name and reputation of Marshall P. Wilder are as highly esteemed 

 in Great Britain as they are in America. 



Mr. Wilder was President of the Massachusetts School of Agri- 

 culture, incorporated in 1858, and has been a trustee of its successor, 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural College, since its establishment. To 

 the latter he gave a collection of more than 1000 valuable plants. 

 He was one of the prime leaders in the movement which gave to 

 Boston the Natural History Rooms and the Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology, has been long a member of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Club, has been a member of several commissions ai)pointed 

 in connection with agriculture, and has been an industrious writer on 

 subjects connected with his favorite pursuits." 



HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE. 



The varied interests which during his busiest years demanded his 

 attention did not withdraw Col. Wilder's mind entirely from the con- 

 sideration of matters connected with tlic calling to which he was in- 

 clined early in his life to devote himself. Horticulture and agricul- 

 ture have had few more devoted students than he has been, and 

 perhaps no other person has ever done more to advance these branches 

 of industry toward perfection than he has. The garden and the field 

 were his places of recreation, and he studied much and went to great 

 expense to develop them. Not only did he endeavor to improve the 

 native products of the soil, but he imported trees, plants and seeds, 

 and tried in every possible way to add dignity- and worth to the pro- 

 fession of husbandry. His library was enriched by whatever valu- 

 able works on his favorite studies were to be obtained, and he has 

 been regarded for many years as a leader in all matters relating to 

 the field, the garden and the conservatory. His studies in connection 

 with pomology have been especially valuable. His labors have 

 happily met with wide appreciation, and it was both a pleasure to 

 him and an honor to the various societies that have shown tangible 

 recognition of his merit that none of his efforts in the direction of 

 making "the wilderness to bloom as a rose" were allowed to expend 

 themselves fruitlessly. One of the earliest members of the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society, which was formed in 1829, he was 

 associated with the late Dr. Jacob Bigelow in the movement which 

 resulted in the purchase and laying out of Mount Auburn Cemetery, 



