WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
121 
April, 1917 
A. J. Philips, Pioneer. 
A. J. Philips of West Salem, 
honorary life member of this So- 
ciety, secretary from 1892 to 1898, 
and veteran horticulturist died at 
' a La Crosse hospital March 22nd, 
after an illness of three weeks. 
While A. J. Philips was riot a 
charter member, his membership 
dating from 1874, he was prob- 
ably known to more people in the 
i state than any other member of 
j our society. He was a pioneer, 
“one who goes before, as into the 
I wilderness, preparing the way for 
others to follow.” “A. J.” was 
one of that self sacrificing band of 
pioneers in horticulture who lit- 
erally went before into the wild- 
erness preparing the way that we 
of another generation are fol- 
lowing. 
The labors of these men in the 
early days meant sure financial 
loss and they knew it. None of 
them expected nor dared hope 
I that apple growing much less the 
« growing of cherries would ever be 
|: of commercial importance in this 
I state nor did they expect that 
I their own particular orchards 
I would be of commercial import- 
I anee. They labored for the 
|| home, labored without expecta- 
p tion of financial reward, for pure 
I love of the game. 
This was strikingly tme of 
A. J. Philips. The “old orchard 
I on the hill white with bloom” 
> lured him back from Dakota, 
| where he had gone to raise sheep 
t 1 on the prairie ; the trees he had 
i planted and reared were a part of 
him. This old orchard which 
I never yielded a car load of apples 
of one variety, tells the story of 
his life plainer than words can 
tell it. It might easily have been 
all of Wealthy, Northwestern, 
■ etc., tried and profitable kinds, 
; but instead these gave way to 
J seedlings, the neiv, the untried, 
the golden promise, the lure of 
the unknown. And t lie orchard 
yielded him great profit, altho not 
in dollars. 
The following account of his 
life is from the La Crosse Tribune 
of March 23d. 
Adoniram Judson Philips was 
born in Chester County, Pa., Oct. 
17, 1834, the son of a Baptist min- 
ister. 
He came west, settling in Wa- 
tertown, AVis., and Big Creek, 
near Sparta, in 1855 and then to 
A. J. PHII.IPS. 
the location in this county which 
he made his home for so many 
years. 
In 1862 he was married. Mr. 
and Airs. Philips raised a family 
of whom Charles of Savanna, 111. ; 
George and Dr. W. J., both of La 
Crosse, and Airs. Wm. Storandt of 
Burr Oak and Airs. George Shane 
of West Salem, still survive with 
their mother. 
Among the “Old Settlers” of 
this county few have been so 
widely known throughout Wis- 
consin and Alinnesota as Mr. 
Philips, stockman, agriculturist, 
horticulturist, breeder of splen- 
did dairy stock and grafter of 
fruits, lecturer, writer, humani- 
tarian and advocate of every 
righteous reform, charter member 
of the Wisconsin Horticultural 
Society and the La Crosse County 
Agricultural, Horticultural and 
Dairy association. 
He was an unflagging officer of 
the Humane society in this 
county for many years and, de- 
spite the abuse that his action 
would incur, he never faltered in 
doing an officer’s plain duty when 
he saw a case warranting it. 
He was a life member of the 
Alinnesota Horticultural society 
and lectured far and wide in that 
state as well as in his own and 
was a frequent contributor to the 
journals of both states for many 
years. 
Growing organic troubles have 
been developing for a long time 
and reached an acute stage a few 
weeks ago and he was removed to 
a La Crosse hospital for treat- 
ment and nursing that he might 
have what measure of comfort it 
was possible to secure under the 
circumstances, there being little 
hope for any possible recovery 
from complications common 
enough to men of advanced age 
and almost certain in fatality. 
There in the hospital at La 
Crosse, at the ripe age of eighty- 
three, the life one of incessant ac- 
tivity, he passed from here to the 
last frontier, and passing he 
leaves the once great circle of the 
“Pioneers” visibly contracted 
and reminds us that it will be a 
short time now until it must have 
disappeared altogether. 
An evergreen windbreak is just 
as effective as a board fence and 
much more pleasant to look at. 
It is well to wash the foliage of 
palms and ferns occasionally to 
keep dust and insects off. 
