THE 



Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Household Arts. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. I Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts oi 



[Xenophon. I the State. — Sully. 



J. E. WILLIAMS, Editor. AUGUST & WILLIAMS, Prop'rs. 



Vol. XX. RICHMOND, VA, NOVEMBER, 1860. No. 11. 



An Address. 



Delivered at the 8th Session of the American 

 Pomological Society, held in Philadelphia, 

 Fa., Sept llth, 12th and \Wi, I860. 



By Marshal P. Welder, President. 



Gentlemen of the Society, and Friends of 

 American Pomology: 

 By our Constitution, ray official position 

 requires me, at the opening of this session, 

 to address you on the art or science of 

 pomology, on the interests, progress, and 

 present condition of our association. 



In the performance of this duty I am 

 happy to meet you in this city of brotherly 



. love, the birthplace of that Declaration 

 which gave us an independent national exist- 

 ence; of that Constitution also, which em- 

 bodies the wisdom of our venerable fathers, 

 and is the charter by which we hold the in- 

 heritance we seek to improve, enjoy, and 

 transmit. Here, too, by a former inhabitant 

 of Philadelphia,* a lew years later, was first 

 exhibited the application to vessels of that 

 invisible agent, which now propels thousands 

 of steamers through onr navigable waters, 

 which has wrought such w r onders in all the 



•useful arts of life, and is progressing upon 

 a stupendous scale of development. Here 



* John Fitch, in 1788, To his steamboat 

 Perseverance. 



41 



was organized the first society for the pro- 

 motion of American Agriculture. Here, 

 also, originated the first association for the 

 advancement of American Horticulture, 

 having, for one of its leading objects, the 

 introduction and cultivation of new and 

 choice varieties of fruit. 



Most of the venerable men who were the 

 authors of these institutions, the founders 

 of these civil and social compacts, have ful- 

 filled their earthly mission ; but the enter- 

 prises which they inaugurated continue, dif- 

 fusing, through the land and the world, the 

 blessings of progressive art, of rural life, of 

 social order, of civil liberty. These fathers 

 have fallen in the great battle of lite; and 

 since our last biennial session, others, more 

 intimately associated with us in our favorite 

 pursuits, have passed away never to return. 

 Two of the founders of the society, who 

 have occupied official positions from its for- 

 mation, will meet with us no more. 



DECEASED OFFICERS. 



Andrew II. Ernst, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 

 one of the Vice Presidents of this society, 

 died at his residence in that city, February 

 13th, 1860, aged sixty-four years. He was 

 a gentleman of foreign birth, but thoroughly 

 nationalized; being a great admirer of 

 American character, and a firm supporter of 



