We this day enter on the duties of another biennial term, and while I most heartily congratulate you upon the growth and prosperity of our Society in its beneficent influence - on what it has accomplished and is still doing - I most earnestly pray that our lives may be prolonged, our energies renewed, and our labors be crowned with continued success; but we cannot forget that death has again entered our ranks, and removed from our circle many old friends and worthy co-laborers of our cause.

During the interval since our last session, we have sustained greater losses of official and prominent associates than in any former like period in the history of our Society. In my former addresses I have endeavored to place in our records a reference to those who have been officially or otherwise actually engaged in promoting the objects of this Society, and now I have the melancholy duty of adding to that starred roll of worthy men the names of James, Vick, Bryant, Schley, Pearce, Arnold, Johnson, Hooker, Transou, and Warder. In this list, we number seven Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, Secretary, and a member of our Fruit Committee.

Thomas Potts James, the first Treasurer of this Society, who held that office for twenty-seven years, died at his residence in Cambridge, Mass., at the ripe age of 79 years. His presence always cheered our meetings, and his gratuitous services and cordial cooperation in the promotion of science were heartily acknowledged and appreciated. He was widely known for his study of the vegetable kingdom, especially the mosses and lichens of our continent, the results of which he was preparing for publication at the time of his death. He was connected with many societies for the advancement of science in our land; was Professor of Botany to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; one of the Founders of the American Pomological Society; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Member and Officer of the American Philosophical Society; Member of the Boston Society of Natural History, and of other kindred associations. In all the relations of life he was conscientiously devoted to whatever was committed to his care.

In a word, he was a true friend, an upright man, and a Christian gentleman.

James Vick, a former Secretary of our Society, died at his home in Rochester, New York, May 16, 1882, aged 64 years. No one has been' more familiarly known to American households as a seedsman, florist, and publisher of a magazine, than Mr. Vick. He was an Englishman by birth, but he came in youth to this country. He soon after entered the printing office of the Genesee Farmer, published by Luther Tucker, and was associated for a time as editor and proprietor of this and the Cultivator, at Albany. On the death of Andrew Jackson Downing, in 1852, he became the proprietor of the Horticulturist, and continued its publication under the able and successful editorship of our good friend, Patrick Barry, at Rochester. Mr. Vick was also at one time associated with the editorial department of the Rural New Yorker, but he was most widely known by his extensive seed trade, and by his Illustrated Monthly, circulating as it has through our broad land. No similar publication has become more popular, or has exerted a more powerful influence in creating and extending a love of flowers and plants, and no death in his line of business has been more generally or deeply deplored.

William Schley, for many years a Vice-President of this Society for the State of Georgia, died at Saratoga, N. Y., August 14, 1882. He was a native of Georgia, and adopted the profession of lawyer, in which he gained an eminence that gave him a seat on the bench. He always took a lively interest in fruit culture. He was early sent as a delegate to the American Pomological Society, and from that time was generally present at all of its meetings, except during the war, ever manifesting a deep interest in its work. He was a gentleman much beloved by us, and specially noted and admired for his eminently social qualities, his winning grace of manner, his fine humor, sprightly, sparkling wit, and ever cheerful demeanor. He could have won political honors, and worn them gracefully and with distinction, had he desired to do so. He was a man of noble generosity and kind deeds, often cramping himself, by aiding others, and when a friend alluded to this trait he replied, " while by helping others I am made poor in purse, I am rich in happiness."

Arthur Bryant, senior, a Vice-President of our Society, died at his residence, Princeton, Illinois, last March. Mr. Bryant was an educated man, in the true sense of that term, trained under the tutorship of his brother, William Cullen Bryant, with whom for a time he was associated on the New York Evening Post. He was a thorough scholar, eminent for his knowledge of the Greek language and of Botany, and for his love of the beautiful in nature. He was especially interested in the conservation of our forests, and in the planting of new ones, and had for a long course of years been a leading nurseryman in the West. He had been President of the Illinois State Horticultural Society, and was the senoir member of our board of Vice-Presidents. He was also a frequent contributor to our public journals, and author of a book on " Forest Trees for Shelter, Adornment and Profit." His decease is widely deplored, and has been appropriately noticed by the public press. In his character we recognize the enterprise of one of the pioneers of American Horticulture, and the virtues of an enterprising, upright man.

Edward D. Pearce, Vice-President for the State of Rhode Island, died at Providence during the present year. He was a man of clear intellect, sound practical sense and great force of character. He was fond of the science of agriculture, and in some departments of it was prominent, especially in the importation of blooded cattle. In the cultivation of both the smaller and larger fruits, he was for many years without a rival in his State. He contributed largely by official services and personal influence to the advancement of terracultu-ral interests, and was often elected to offices of honor and trust in his State. Mr. Pearce possessed a genial nature, and was universally beloved and respected as a very useful man.

Henry E. Hooker, an old and valuable member, and for a time a member of the General Fruit Committee, died at Rochester, N. Y., April 12th, 1883, fifty-nine years of age. He was prominently engaged in the nursery business, and by his enterprise, sagacity, and integrity, became well and favorably known throughout our country. He was always much interested in horticultural pursuits, and contributed by his labors and his pen largely to their advancement. He was much interested in the formation of societies for this purpose, and was Vice-President of the Western New York Horticultural Society at the time of his death. He was the introducer, or disseminator, of several new and valuable fruits, among which may be named the Brighton Grape, now so universally appreciated for its excellence. He was everywhere respected for his sincerity, always acting according to his convictions of the right; modest and unassuming in manners and gentle in disposition, he was beloved by all who knew him.

Charles Arnold died at his residence in Paris, Ontario, on the 15th day of April last, aged sixty-four years. Mr. Arnold was for many years a Vice-President, and Chairman of the Fruit Committee for Canada West, of our Society. He was an Englishman, and came to Canada fifty years ago and here remained until his death. From a very early period in his life he manifested a great taste for horticultural pursuits, and for nearly forty years had been actively engaged in following his natural tastes.

Although not in early life an educated man, he found time during his busy life to become familiarly acquainted with many of the best writings of our time, especially those which in any way related to his favorite pursuits. He was a careful observer and eminently a practical man, speaking of what he knew rather than of what he conjectured. He often wrote clear and vigorous articles on the subject of cultivation. He has been for many years constantly engaged in the cross-fertilization of cereals and vegetables, and other plants and fruits, with marked success. Of the latter he produced new varieties of the grape, strawberry and raspberry, which are now considered very valuable.

In vegetables, his American Wonder Pea is every where highly esteemed, and at the time of his death he was actively engaged in experiments to improve the pea, potato and wheat. He was a man of great enthusiasm, with good judgment, and his loss is greatly to be deplored by us.

Joseph E. Johnson, our Vice-President and Chairman of the Fruit Committee for Utah, died at Tempe, Arizona, December 17, 1882, aged sixty-two years. Mr. Johnson was a prominent leader in the Territory of Utah in various settlements, and did much to introduce fruits and flowers in the districts where he resided. He was a valuable member of our Society, being ever ready to advance its interests as far as was in his power. He originated many seedling fruits, such as peaches, apricots, grapes, etc., some of them being of promising local value, as may be seen by his reports to this Society. Mr. Johnson had recently removed from St. George, Utah, to Arizona, where he intended again to engage in gardening and the culture of the soil. He was a very enterprising and progressive man, and occupied many places of honor and trust among his people. He was the proprietor and editor of several newspapers and periodicals in his day, among which were the Utah Pomologist and Gardener, and by his botanical researches, discoveries and importations, he inspired a taste for the beautiful in nature wherever he went.

In a word, he was a man of unceasing labor, constitutionally a pioneer, and died working in the pioneer life.

B. F. Transou, for the last ten years a Vice-President of our Society, and at one time Chairman of our Fruit Committee for Tennessee, died at his residence, near Humboldt, May 27, aged sixty-three years. He was born in North Carolina. In 1861, he removed to Gibson County, where he made a home enriched with fruits and beautified with flowers. He was a pioneer in the nursery business, Chairman of the West Tennessee Fruit Growers' Association, a member of other associations, and exerted extended and progressive influence in pomology and rural adornment. Mr. Transou was a man universally beloved in church and society, of winning manners, and faithful in all the relations of life. On the eventful morning when he was smitten down, while laboring in his rosary, God called, and he was removed to that better land where the leaf shall never wither, the flower never fade.

And now, while I am thus writing, there comes the sad intelligence of the decease of our beloved friend and associate, Dr. John A. Warder, Vice-President of our Society for the State of Ohio, who died on the 14th of July, aged seventy-one years. No death has occurred in this Society since that of Andrew Jackson Downing, which is more deeply or widely lamented.

He was born within the limits of Philadelphia, but had from very early days a love for rural life. He accordingly moved to Ohio, and about thirty years ago purchased a farm at North Bend, a part of which was formerly President Harrison's. He was a student of nature, and especially devoted to scientific researches. He was a beloved physician in Cincinnati until his removal to his farm, but during this time he was closely interested in the organization and work of various scientific and educational associations.

He was a member of the Cincinnati Astronomi-cal Society; Western Academy of Natural Science and Natural History; Ohio Wine Growers' Association; Ohio Medical College; many years President of the Ohio Pomological Society, now the Ohio State Horticultural Society; President of the American Forestry Association until its consolidation, last year, with the American Forestry Congress, and member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was much interested in landscape gardening and the improvement of our cemeteries. He was widely known as an author, editor and contributor to various literary and medical publications, among which we specially remember his works on " American Pomology and American Forestry."

He was remarkably unselfish and generous, devoting his whole life for the good of others; was modest and unassuming, possessing fine social qualities, and his society was greatly enjoyed by all who knew him. He had been recently appointed by the Department of Agriculture as Forestry Agent, for investigating the forest resources of our country, but was not permitted to enter on the work, for the Master called him home.

Would that I could stop here, but while I am closing this address there comes the sad announcement of the death of our beloved young friend, Henry B. Ellwanger, son of our old and esteemed member, of Rochester, N. Y. He was only thirty-three years of age, and was a member of the time honored firm of Ellwanger and Barry, but was widely known for his popular work on "The Rose," and for his careful classification of this queen of flowers, and his enterprising experiments in its hybridization. In the latter line of his studies he had already opened a new era in America, giving promise of equal or greater success with that attained by the most experienced masters of the old world. His book established his reputation both at home and abroad, and his late article on "Old and New Roses," in the Century Magazine, added still further to it.

Mr. Ellwanger had been a constant attendant at our sessions for many years, and is well remembered as reporting at our last meeting for his father, then in Europe, on " Foreign Fruits."

How mysterious this Providence! It is only six weeks, at this writing, since he was sitting by my side and expressing the great interest which he felt in the hybridization of the rose, and his hope that although we may not be able to paint the lily, we may yet " add perfume to the rose."

Mr. Ellwanger was of most amiable disposition and courteous manners, and a Christian gentleman, having recently been invested with Deacon's Orders in the Episcopal Church. His death is universally and deeply deplored.

These and other friends have gone before us to that better land where we trust they are now partaking of fruits from the tree of life that perish not with their use. Thus one after another of our associates are passing away, and ere long all the founders of our Society will have joined the countless millions of the departed; but others will rise up and carry forward the designs which have been formed for the promotion of our cause. But let us not murmur or repine at the providence of God. This is the order of nature, - this the lot of all sublunary life - Fruits have their time to ripen and fall. Leaves have their time to wither and dry, Man has his time to flourish and fade, All must be cut by Time's ruthless blade. But though the fruits of earth may all fail And none be left to tell the sad tale, Still there's a land of promise on high Where fruits never fail, men never die.

Henry E. Hooker, of Rochester, N. Y., died on the 12th of April last, at the age of fifty-eight years. His health had been failing for more than a year past, but hopes of his recovery were entertained until a short time before his death. He was born in Rochester, and lived there all his life. His father, the late Horace Hooker, was one of the pioneers of this section, and was one of the leading business men of his day. He was among the first to plant a good collection of fruits, and his sons grew up with a taste for fruit culture which gradually attracted them to the nursery business.

Of Henry's two surviving brothers, one, Horace B. Hooker, is engaged in the nursery business, and the other, Charles M. Hooker, has one of the finest fruit farms in Western New York, almost within the limits of the city of Rochester.

Henry E. Hooker has been known as one of the leading nurserymen of the United States for more than thirty years, and no man in the trade enjoyed in a higher degree the confidence and respect of all who had dealings with him, or who were in any way brought into his presence. He was a skillful and careful cultivator; whatever he did was well done. Of late years he made a sort of specialty of the Brighton grape, which he introduced, and of roses, and I have often had occasion to admire his remarkably skillful and successful management of these. He was also a man of excellent taste, of which his home and grounds gave ample evidence.

An avenue running through his grounds, planted with Chinese magnolias and Cembran pine, placed alternately, is among the finest objects of the kind I know of. Another, planted with weeping birch, is also very fine, and both are original and unique. Mr. Hooker was not a routine man, but a thinker. His death is justly regarded as a great loss to the nursery trade and to the community at large. He was in the prime of life and in a position to make his usefulness more widely felt than ever. He was one of the founders of the Western New York Horticultural Society, for some time its President, and always one of its most intelligent and staunch-est supporters. That excellent society owes much to Henry E. Hooker, and his death will be sincerely mourned by all its members.

In his social and domestic life Mr. Hooker was one of the best of men. He leaves a wife and four daughters, who have in their bereavement, in an especial manner, the sincere sympathy of the nurserymen and horticulturists, not only of this •country but of Europe.