124 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



JOHN JACOB THOMAS. 



For nearly sixty years American fruit growers and farmers have 

 enjoyed reading the words of Mr. John Jacob Thomas. So often 

 has his name been associated with fruit growing that somehow 

 none of us quite realized that his work on earth was so nearly 

 completed. To be sure it was quite generally known that a few 

 months before his death he was obliged to surrender his editorial 

 labors to others, in consequence of weakness and nervous exhaus- 

 tion. It was a great source of grief to him that his failing health 

 necessitated his withdrawal from the work so much beloved. This 

 surrender to approaching infirmities was in August last, and from 

 this time on to his death there was a gradual breaking down until 

 the end of life's journey was reached, February 22, 1895. 



Mr. Thomas was born in 1810 on the shore of the beautiful 

 lake, Cayuga, and for many years has lived at Union Springs, 

 New York. He was the son of David Thomas, a man of culture 

 and refinement, whose virtues were transmitted to his children. 

 The father was an influential man — a student of nature, an explorer 

 and surveyor. His children inherited his fondness for investiga- 

 tion and research. 



Dr. Joseph Thomas, became famous as a writer in the edi- 

 torial labors that gave the world the popular and valuable 

 Gazetteer and Biographical Dictionary published by the Lippiucotts. 

 He also edited Thomas' Medical Dictionary, and wrote several 

 educational books. He was a great linguist and an extensive 

 traveller. 



The subject of this sketch was perhaps less known to the world 

 than the brother mentioned, but it is not for us to say that the life 

 he lived was less useful. It was perhaps an uneventful life as com- 

 pared with those of his father and brother. He was seriously handi- 

 capped in much of his work in consequence of delicate health and 

 weakened vision, but he had the most indomitable resolution. More 

 than this he had great natural gifts and a well developed mental 

 organization with correct taste and artistic temperament. In his 

 contribution to the press he drew his own illustrations, and in his 

 books most of this work was done by himself. Not long since the 

 writer's attention was called to a beautiful oil painting by Mr. 

 Thomas, and by him presented to the former president of our 

 society. 



