330 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



delegates paid our expenses out of our own indi- 

 vidual means. 



Mr. Pearmain requires another correction before 

 we can let him pass, namely : That Kansas announced 

 to the world that she took a "second premium," 

 when in fact she took no such premium. 



We have so far said hut little respecting our 

 fruit at Richmond, but from the unblushing char- 

 acter of this Pearmain circular, we are forced to 

 show its character and vindicate our own cause. 

 And to do so we will refer you to disinterested 

 papers published at Richmond, and eye witnesses of 

 the exhibition. And we will here quote from one 

 of the Richmond daily papers, the Dispatch of 

 September 9th : 



"The highest premium given by the Virginia State Horti- 

 cultural and Pomological Society was awarded to Kansas. 

 It reads as follows; 

 Virginia BortieuUvral and Pomological Society : 

 This Diploma is awarded to Messrs. Wm. M. Howsly, J. 

 Stayman and F. Wollhouse, delegates of the State Horticul- 

 tural Society of Kansas, for the largest display of fruits, un- 

 excelled in size, beauty and excellence, exhibited during the 

 session of the American Pomological Society, September 

 1871, exhibited at the Pair of the Virginia Horticultural and 

 Pomological Society, held at Kichmond, State of Virginia, 

 on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of September, 1871. 



Jno. M. Allan, Pres. 

 H. K. Elltson, Sec. 



"In addition to this award, L. H. Prayser, Esq., of this city, 

 complimented that distant State by the presentation of a box 

 of superior chewing tobacco as a further evidence of the 

 estimate placed upon the fruits exhibited by Dr. Stayman, 

 Dr. Housley, and Mr. Wellhouse, which fruits, for size, 

 beauty and excellence, were most conspicuous. This pre- 

 sentation was also made through the Virginia Horticultural 

 and Pomological Society. It is proper to add that Kansas 

 was not a competitor." 



Now that the truth is known through the Rich- 

 mond papers and the Diploma, I trust Mr. Pearmain 

 will make the correction, and add the facts to his 

 next circular as a supplement. 



AssociATK Ed. 



Remarks.— We received a copy of this Pearmain 

 circular some time since. We found it so discourte- 

 ous and so destitute of truth, and even self-respect, 

 that with pity for its author cast it aside, as 

 did Uncle Toby the fly in the mail-coach, and with 

 the same injunction, " Go in peace poor devU, &c." 

 But, for reasons given, our Associate has seen fit to 

 expose its consummate absurdities. 



That Iowa made the best show of apples at the 

 Richmond meeting is notorious — a fact fully con- 

 ceded by a most competent committee, and by all 

 who witnessed the exhibition. The collection of 

 118 varieties from Central Iowa, presented by us, 

 and to which was awarded the highest premium 

 for the best display of apples, was made up of the 

 most prominent and valuable sorts grown in the 

 West, and correctly named. It embraced no wild- 

 cat seedlings, or unknown sorts. The Richmond 

 Dispatch of September 7th, said : " Iowa, we think, 

 takes the lead in the apple department." The Horti- 

 culturist for November, says : "Iowa seemed to win 

 special admiration for her display of apples." And 

 we might fill a whole page with quotations no less 



complimentary from other sources. It strikes us 

 that a certain long eared animal is made to play 

 more conspicuous in this Pearmain matter, than 

 either the " elephant" or the " monkey." 



A TVestem American Pomological Society. 



It is proposed that all the States and Territories 

 west of the Mississippi and east of the Pacific 

 Ocean, and from the Lakes to the Gulf on the 

 south, be organized into a Pomological Society, to 

 be known and called by the name of the Western 

 Ainerican Pomological Society, or some other suitable 

 name. 



The recent exhibition at Richmond, Va., shows 

 most conclusively, that west of the Mississippi is, 

 at least for the present, the fruit growing region of 

 the United States. The vast tract of country to be 

 supplied west of the Mississippi, and the efibrts 

 now being made for the development of this inter- 

 est imperatively demand that the fruit growers 

 of the United States, and especially of the West, 

 meet oftener than once in two years. 



The meetings can be so arranged as not to con- 

 flict with those of the Ainerican Pomological Soci- 

 ety, already in operation, but for each to meet 

 alternate years — having the western one in the fall 

 of 1872, at such time and place as may here- 

 after be agreed upon by the friends of the enter- 

 prise. 



The fruit growing interests of the country would 

 be still further advanced, in our opinion, by organ- 

 izing a similar Society out of the States lying east 

 of the Mississippi, and west of the Alleghany 

 Mountains, holding their meetings in the same 

 years as those west of the Mississippi, but at a dif- 

 ferent time in the year. Thus a very large amount 

 of enteresting matter could be gathered for the 

 grand meeting of the American Society at Bos- 

 ton in 1873, or elsewhere in other years. 



We are anxious to have the opinions of leading 

 Pomologists over all the scope of country above 

 specified. Gentlemen, let us have a free and a full 

 discussion of this matter, through all the Horticul- 

 tural journals, especially of the West. 



It is not intended by the foregoing movement to 

 interfere in the least degree, with the interests of 

 the parent Society, but on the contrary, to act in 

 harmony with it in the fullest sense, so as to make 

 its meetings the more far-reaching and interesting. 

 This course is now being taken and acted upon by 

 many of the State organizations, both agricultural 

 and Horticultural. In conclusion, we would 

 remark that the distance from the Pacific to Boston 

 on the Atlantic, is quite a long one, and the 

 amount of money required is an important item 

 with the many who would like to attend those 

 meeting!?, but are deterred in consequence of the 

 heavy expense required to perform the journey. 



Cor. Ed. 



