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present time propagated by nurserymen and fruit 

 growers. 



"To elicit and disseminate pomological informa- 

 tion, and to maintain a cordial spirit of intercourse 

 among horticulturists. ' ' 



This convention adopted the title of " The Ameri- 

 can Congress of Fruit Grrowers," and was presided 

 over by the present incumbent of the chair. Its 

 first week was the appointment of a Special Fruit 

 Committee, of which the late A. J. Downing was 

 Chairman, to report a list of frtiits worthy of general 

 cultivation. After a session of three days, spent in 

 the discussion of this list, which resulted in its adop- 

 tion, with very few changes, and in discussion of 

 other varieties, the Congress adjourned to meet in 

 the city of New York, on the first Tuesday of Oc- 

 tober, 1849. 



But it was plain that, for the decision of a Pomo- 

 logical Convention to carry due weight, there must 

 be but one, indeed, that there could be but one na- 

 tional convention ; and, accordingly, at the next 

 meeting of the North American Pomological Con- 

 vention, in Syracuse, N. Y., September 14, 1849, 

 resolutions looking to a union of the two conven- 

 tions, introduced by Dr. Herman Wendell, were 

 unanir^ously adopted; and a committee, of which 

 Dr. Wendell was at the head, was appointed to at- 

 tend the meeting of the Congress for that purpose. 

 The proposition for union met a hearty response 

 from the Congress, which appointed a committee, 

 headed by Mr. Downing, to confer with that from 

 the North American Pomological Convention. At 

 this conference the i-tmost harmony and good feel- 

 ing prevailed ; and it was agreed, with the largest 

 spirit of fraternity and good will on all sides, that 

 that the North American Pomological Convention 

 should surrender its organization, and that the two 

 associations should be consolidated as the "Ameri- 

 can Pomological Congress." At this meeting a few 

 concise by-laws were established, the select list was 

 enlarged, a list of new varieties which promise well 

 was adopted, and a beginning was made of a re- 

 jected list, by discarding, as unworthy of cultivation, 

 twenty-seven varieties of apples and ninety-nine va- 

 rieties of pears. 



The first meeting of the united conventions was 

 at Cincinnati, in 1850; the president, however, 

 owing to a death in his family, was unable to be 

 present, and Dr W. D. Brinckle was chosen presi- 

 dent. Since th s meeting the sessions have been 

 held biennially, the next being at Philadelphia, in 

 1852, when Dr. Brinckle having declined a re-elec- 



ion, the former presiding officer was again called to 



the chair. At this session, the death of Mr. Down 

 ing, which occurred a short time previously, was 

 noticed by a eulogy delivered by the president, at 

 the invitation of the Horticultural Societies of Penn- 

 sylvania and Massachusetts. A Constitution and 

 By-Laws were also adopted, and the name was 

 changed to the "American Pomological Society." 

 The session of 1854 was at Boston ; 1856 at Roches- 

 ter ; 1858 at New York, when a large number of 

 names were added to the rejected list, making, with 

 seventy-two pears discarded in 1854, and a few at 

 other sessions, in all six hundred and twenty-five 

 varieties of fruits. The session of 1860 was at Phi- 

 ladelphia ; 1862 at Boston, when the present plan 

 of the Society's Catalogue was adopted ; and 1864 

 at Rochester. 



In this brief outline of the history of the Society, 

 I have indicated the more important measures which 

 have been from ti ;:e to time adopted for the pro- 

 motion of its objects, in addition to the discussion 

 of the various kinds of fruits at our meetings. These 

 discussions have, at the last three sessions, been ma- 

 terially abridged, leaving the catalogue to be per- 

 fected by the labors of the Special Committee in 

 arranging and condensing the information furnished 

 by the Local Committees. This is undoubtedly our 

 best policy ; and although, to the true pomologist, 

 the study of the characteristics of varieties possesses 

 a fascination hardly less than that of the delineations 

 of human character to the novel-reader, I would re- 

 commend, that, in future, still more time should be 

 given to the subjects of culture, diseases, insects, 

 the origin of varieties, the ripening and preservation 

 of fruits, etc. ; and to this end it is suggested that, 

 in introducing new varieties, only those which give 

 promise of peculiar excellence should be mentioned. 



PRODUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES. 



The great number of cultivators now raising new 

 varieties of fruit from seed, especially of the grape, 

 strawberry and pear, gives promise of the richest 

 gains to our stock of fine fruits. When we consider 

 the numerous acquisitions already obtained, the 

 multitude of accidental seedlings, and the thousands 

 of hybrids produced by artificial means, now in the 

 process of growth, our most sanguine hopes are 

 awakened, and we feel that we are an the right 

 track. 



In no one of my previous addresses have I omitted 

 to urge the importance of this branch of our science; 

 and as Von Mons advised his friends ' ' to sow, to 

 sow again, to re-sow, to sow perpetually," so now I 

 repeat the words in which my views on this subject 

 have heretofore been summed up ; and as it was my 



