20 
AMERICAN POMOEOGICAE SOCIETY 
much work of vital importance to American Pomology and Horticulture has 
been done here. 
John Adlum’s pioneer work on the amelioration of our native grapes was 
done in his experimental vineyard in the valley of Rock Creek. This made 
possible his classic “Memoir on the Cultivation of the Vine,” published in 
1823, the first separately published American grape book. Through his 
efforts also the Catawba grape, which when grown to full perfection still 
remains one of our choicest native grapes, was disseminated throughout the 
then settled portions of the country. His earnest advocacy of the setting 
aside of public land in Washington “for cultivating an experimental farm” 
was one of the earliest evidences of that interest in the application of 
science to agriculture which later found expression in the establishing of 
the Department of Agriculture and the State Experiment Stations. 
Though cut off early in a career of great promise, the name of A. J. 
Downing is inseparably connected with the horticultural features of the City 
of Washington, through his laying out of the grounds about the Capitol, the 
White House, and the Smithsonian Institution. The high esteem in which 
he was held by his associates in the American Pomological Society is 
testified to by the memorial erected by them and still standing in these 
grounds not far from the beautiful building in which we meet. 
The names of William Saunders, John Saul, and Wm. R. Smith, that 
group of British horticulturists who brought the training and experience of 
the old world with them to assist in the creation of those distinctive Ameri- 
can features in horticulture and pomology which are still in the rapidly 
changing stage of their development, naturally occur to the minds of older 
members present. The abundance and great variety of trees in the streets 
and parks of the city make them a veritable arboricultural experiment 
station where the behavior of many native and foreign trees under the 
trying conditions incident to city development can be studied. 
As the seat of the Federal Government the public parks and buildings of 
Washington are yours by right as citizens of our great republic. Repre- 
senting the present custodians of your property we bid you welcome to the 
Capital and express the hope that your sessions may be profitable and help- 
ful not only to those who are privileged to be present, but also to those 
whose interests may be affected by the experience recorded or by action 
taken. 
President Goodman: This is an address of welcome filled with meat of 
all kinds, and we shall have an opportunity to read it in the report, and 
it is worthy of our consideration. I congratulate friend Taylor on this 
special address of welcome. It is very proper we should receive welcome 
from the Department of Agriculture and now we will receive a welcome from 
our own city — one that belongs to us. 
Mr. Gude is a very extensive florist in this city, one who has grown and 
developed the beauties that we love and that we so much enjoy. His labor 
is that of creating these beautiful plants, to develop and bring to perfection 
these flowers that surround us. It takes service to accomplish such results; 
it takes work, to produce the flowers and plants that so beautify these homes 
and parks that you and I may have pleasure in their enjoyment. We are glad 
Mr. Gude is here and has a welcome from the City of Washington. 
