This was organized 1848, and is now about to hold its twenty-first session. Mr. P. Barry, First Vice-President, announces that at the last session of the American Pomological Society, held in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 8 - 11, 1885. the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, through its President, presented an invitation to hold the next biennial session at Boston. This was also the strongly expressed wish of President Wilder, who desired to meet the Society once more in his own city. The invitation was accepted, and, therefore the next session will be held in the city of Boston, commencing on Wednesday, September 14th, 1887, at 10 o'clock A. m., and continuing three days.

The session will be held in one of the rooms of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association Building, and the exhibition of fruits will be held in conjunction with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's annual exhibition in the great hall of the same building. All horticultural, pomological, agricultural and other kindred associations in the United States and British provinces are invited to send delegates, and all persons interested in the cultivation of fruits are cordially invited to attend.

The society will not have the hoped-for pleasure of meeting its beloved president, who was stricken down by death, full of years and honor, just as he had commenced to prepare for this meeting'; but it is hoped and expected that in honor of his memory there will be an unusually large attendance of members and delegates from all parts of the country, and that the session will be one of the most interesting and useful ever held by the society. The sad emergency which has arisen from the death of President Wilder, who had so wisely and successfully guided the Society for so long a period - indeed, it may be said, through its entire progress - makes it incumbent on all its true friends to rally now to its support, that its good work may be carried forward without interruption.

During the thirty-eight years of its existence, the society has accomplished much in the interest of pomology and the fruit growing industry of our country. It has effected an organization, through its committees, in every State and Territory. In its biennial reports it has brought out the latest and best experience. It has made an important advance in the needful reform of pomological nomenclature, and has compiled a national catalogue consisting of nine hundred varieties of fruits adapted to the several States and Territories, with their varying climate and other conditions. Much is yet to be done, and with the experience acquired and facilities now enjoyed, the work of the future will be of greater value to the country than that of the past.

The Forthcoming Meeting Of The American Pomological Society

Though the date of the meeting has not yet been fixed, the Boston people are getting ready for a grand old time. Col. Wilder writes: "That the Massachusetts Horticultural Society has appropriated five hundred dollars to be awarded in complimentary prizes to exhibitors of the American Pomological Society at its next meeting in September. Open to the whole country. These are in addition to the Wilder Medals which will be awarded as usual; what we anticipate will produce a remarkable exhibition from different parts of our wide spread country, and to accommodate which we have secured the great hall of the Mechanics Association with more in capacity than our own".

Founding Of The American Pomological Society

Col. M. P. Wilder, writing a few days before his death, to Mr. Charles A. Green, editor of the Fruit Grower, said:

"In regard to the origin of the American Pomological Society, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, (of which I was then president,) in 1848 authorized me to correspond with societies and po-mologists in other states, and if approved by them, to call a National Pomological Convention in the city of New York, which was held in October of that year. This meeting was styled the American Congress of Fruit Growers, and was held under the auspices of the American institute. This was the first National organization of the kind. It created a new interest in pomological research throughout the country, which has been constantly increasing since. The next year another organization, the North American Pomological Convention, was united with this, and the combined societies in 1852 took the name of the American Pomological Society. The first officers of the American Congress of Fruit Growers were Marshall P. Wilder, President, and Samuel B. Parsons and Patrick Barry of New York, and Geo. W. Deacon of New Jersey, Secretaries, with a Vice-President from each of the States represented, only one of whom, H. W. S. Cleveland, now of Minneapolis, still lives.

The second meeting was the next year in New York, and the third at Cincinnati in 1850, since which time they have been held bi-ennially in the leading cities of the North, South and West, and its next meeting is to be held in Boston, in September, 1887. It should here be remembered that among its most distinguished Pomologists of its early history were A. J. Downing, his brother Charles, Dr. W. D. Brinckle of Pennsylvania, J. J. Thomas and George Ellwanger of New York, Dr. John A. Warder of Ohio, Charles M. Hovey, Samuel Walker and Robert Manning of Massachusetts".

The American Pomological Society

The following, dated from Zurich, Switzerland, July 23, 1887, will be very interesting to all our readers:

" I intended to have written you sooner, asking you to notice, in your August and September numbers, the meeting of the Pomological Society at Boston, September 14th. It will be an event of extraordinary interest to pomologists and fruit growers in all parts of our country, as the prizes offered by the Massachusetts Society will bring out a great display.

"Wherever we have been in Europe we find fruit culture substantially a neglected pursuit. As far as I can judge it does not receive as much attention as it did twenty years ago. All through Germany we got nothing but wild strawberries from the mountains; other fruits are scarce and dear. We hear a good deal of apple trees on the road sides. It is true, the trees are there, neglected and fruitless. An apple tree with its roots under the roadway on one side and old worn out sod on the other, cannot yield fruit fit to be eaten.

"I attribute this neglect of fruits to the prevailing necessity for using every foot of ground for crops, which are the necessaries of life. Cows take the place of oxen and horses, and the most rigid economy is practiced. Crops fine all through France, Belgium and Germany - apparent prosperity everywhere.

"If I had time I could tell you something about trees that would be of interest to you and many of your readers. A superb Sequoia gigantea is in the hotel garden here - fifty feet high and twenty feet in diameter of branches at base, a perfect cone, twenty years planted. I think we have seen a dozen nearly as good in other gardens here. Cupressus Lawsoniana is as good, and about same size and age. Thuiopis borealis, Abies Pinsapo, and many others finer than I have seen elsewhere.

" We shall sail for home on the 24th of August from Bremen on the Aller. We read in the papers here of a dreadfully warm period in the United States. We have not had more than three very warm days on this side. Yours sincerely, "P. Barry".

American Pomological Society

As we go to press we learn that the meeting of the Society in Boston is going on very successfully, and promises to be one of the most interesting ever held. It was, however, a great disappointment to learn at the last moment that Mr. Patrick Barry could not attend. The next biennial meeting is to be held in Florida.