FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
147 
a fine grade of ground phosphate. One 
of the last things we have seen that the 
doctor wrote stated: 
“Agricultural and horticultural science 
is yet in its infancy, some are beginning to 
get a glimpse of its possibilities, especially 
if we study the working of the soil bac¬ 
teria which God has undoubtedly made 
for a purpose. 
“Heretofore chemists have had the 
stage and tried to make us believe that 
the acids produced by decaying vegeta¬ 
tion were the solvents of earthy matter 
for plant food. Bacteriologists now know 
that this is not wholly so and some go so 
far as to dare to think there is none of it 
true but that the whole business is done by 
the bacteria of the soil. 
“Yours truly, 
“W. H. Conibear, M. D.” 
MRS. GEORGE W. ADAMS 
Another of our members to depart this 
life during the last year was Mrs. George 
W. Adams, born Elizabeth Conant. She 
died on March 6th, 1917, at her home at 
Lake Thonotosassa. 
Mrs. Adams was the oldest lady mem¬ 
ber of the society, being 83 years old, and 
had been on the roll of the Society for 
twenty years. 
She was born at Dudley, Mass., being 
a descendant of Roger Conant, one of the 
pioneers of that state. After her marriage 
to Mr. George Willard Adams she moved 
with her husband to Florida in 1877, 
where they were the first setlers to take up 
a homestead at Lake Thonotosassa. 
In addition to her interest in the devel¬ 
opment of her home section, Mrs. Adams 
was deeply interested in religious matters, 
being the founder and patron of the 
Union Mission at her home city. 
LEMUEL HARRIS CUNLIFF 
On August 8th, 1916, Lemuel Harris 
Cunliff, who had spent twenty winters 
with us passed away at his summer home 
in Norwich, Conn. 
Mr. Cunliff was born in North Provi¬ 
dence, R. I., on May 13th, 1838. 
In early life he fitted himself for a 
draughtsman and mill engineer. He 
served in that capacity for the Franklin 
Mfg. Co. of Providence, R. I., and made 
the plans for the Oriental Mill. 
In January, 1861, he married Abbie J. 
Cadwell, daughter of Henry M. Cadwell 
of Sutton, Mass. He left Providence to 
enter the employ of the Frank Skinner 
Company of Lewiston, Me., and made 
plans for the Androscoggin Mills, also 
re-organized and put in operation the 
Duck Mill at Rockport, Mass. 
After a residence there of three years 
he went to Norwich, Conn., and made 
plans for the Ponemah Mills at Taftville, 
three miles from Norwich. From there 
he went to Manchang, Mass., and made 
and executed plans for a large cotton mill. 
Completing his work there after a resi¬ 
dence of four years he went to Boston, 
Mass., and opened an office in the Rialto 
Building as a mill engineer. He after¬ 
wards was engaged by the A. T. Stewart 
Co., of N. Y., which position he held for 
five years when he was appointed agent 
and general manager of the A. T. Stewart 
estate at Garden City, L. I., resigning the 
position after fifteen years of service. He 
was well known among the industrial 
leaders of New England. 
