634 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



mice, Honkel, Detongres, and others, which have been produced in our 

 day by Van Mons, Porteau, Diel, Bivort and others, we are led to inquire 

 "whether these genilemen have exhausted the subject, or whether we are to 

 look for the same relative progress within the next twenty-five years as has 

 already been made in the production of the fine varieties alluded to. Van 

 Mons who spent a life time in ameliorating the condition of the pear, 

 adopted the theory that the pear must be improved by degrees, or by pro- 

 gression, commencing with the wildling and planting the seed of each 

 successive generation, and training the tree so as to induce it to fruit, 

 rather than to vigorous growth. He discovered that in the fifth or sixth 

 generation all the excellence of that variety had been fully developed, and 

 any further effort to improve it caused it to return to the condition of the 

 wildling. 



Although Van Men's theory is repudiated in this day, yet his name will 

 be handed down to future generations, as one zealously engaged in improv- 

 ing the condition of the pear, and it will be a long time before his seedlings 

 such as the Buerre Bosc, Buerre Diel, Paradise d'Automne, Henkel, Man- 

 nings Elizabeth, and a host of others, will be discarded. 



The improvement of fruit has resulted from scientific culture. The 

 pollen of the Flemish Beauty is carefully transferred to the blossom of the 

 Bartlett, and the result of this union is the Clapp's Favorite, a pear of 

 great excellence and beauty. Is there any reason why we cannot jn-oduce 

 winter varieties of pears of the finest quality ; as beautiful and smooth as 

 the Bartlett? Why cannot we have, instead of the rough exterior of some 

 of our late sorts, those of fair skins, ruddy colors, and of a rich character 

 like the Seckel and Belle Lucrative? The impossible has no place in pro- 

 gressive science. And it is but fair to conclude that after the combined 

 efforts now being made to improve the condition of all our fruits, the next 

 generation will look back on the result of our labors as only the beginning 

 of the great work ; and the varieties we now recommend will then only be 

 retained to prove that to man has been given the power to perfect the 

 various fruits of the garden and the orchard. 



In conclusion Mr. Carpenter suggested as subjects for some future dis- 

 cussion, the growing and ripening of fruits, and best methods of retarding 

 the ripening of fruits. 



On motion flowers were selected as the subject for the next meeting. 



Adjourned. 



John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



AngustSO, 1864. 



Mr. Benjamin C. Townscnd, President, in the chair. 



Mr. Mead, from the Committee on Premiums, submitted a list of pre- 

 miums to be awarded. 



On motion, it was 



Resolved, That a Horticultural Exhibition be held in the rooms of the 

 American Institute, beginning Tuesday evening, September 21th, and con- 

 tinuing until Friday, the 30th, competition to be open to persons in any 

 part of the country. 



