This interesting and important Society organised by appointing its various committees in June last. We hope the country members are now mindful of their duties. We have entered upon the season of fruits, when every day will bring to notice some fact worthy of being recorded. We shall be pleased to receive all their reports. Why cannot we have a Fruit Growers1 Society in every State? Pennsylvania should be up and doing.

MAJOR MADDENs RHODODENDRON.

Dear Sir: The annual winter meeting of this Society came off on the 8th and 9th inst., the coldest days we have experienced, or are likely to, this winter. Thermometer on the 9th ten degrees below zero, with a high wind. Yet the meeting was successful far beyond anticipation, and was numerously attended by the most intelligent and enterprising nurserymen and fruit growers of Western New York. Their discussions upon well chosen, important subjects were spirited and practical, as you will see, and cannot fail to command the attention of the farmers and land owners in this region, and perhaps elsewhere.

The President, John J. Thomas, delivered an address, which, for conciseness, clearness, and force, I have not heard surpassed. It was a happy blending of the historical with the practical, and was cordially applauded at the close.

There was a grand display of winter fruits. I will give you the names of some of the contributors.

John Parks, of Gates, near Rochester, fourteen varieties of apples, half a bushel of each; superb specimens throughout. The varieties were: R. I. Greening, Baldwin, Yellow Bell-flower, Roxbury Russet, Fall Pippin, Golden Russet, Eropus Spitzenburg, Seek no further, Twenty ounce Pippin, Twenty ounce Apple, Talman Sweet, etc.

Col. E. C. Frost, of Schuyler Co., a fine display of King and Wagner apples.

Charles Lee, of Yates Co., a large basket of the finest specimens of Wagner I have ever seen.

John Morse, of Cayuga, a dish of a new apple - Morse's Seedling, A very large, handsome red apple, quite as good as the Baldwin, and keeps till March.

James H. Watts, a large basket of the finest Northern Spy.

A. G. Owens, of Big Flats, fine specimens of King apple.

J. W. Seward, of Rochester, the Saratoga, a beautiful apple, and the "Golden Head," both very little known.

C. L. Hoag, of Lockport, six varieties of pears.

Jno. R. Lee, of Buffalo, Northern Spy apples.

Austin Pinney Clarkson, twelve varieties of apples, Beurre d'Aremberg pears, and Catawba grapes, in fine condition.

Stone and Cook, of Oswego Co., twenty-five varieties of apples, including the Wagner, N. Spy, and Jefferson County apple.

Hooker Darley & Co., Rochester, eighteen varieties of apples.

H. E. Hooker & Co., Rochester, thirty varieties of apples and Easter Beurre pears.

Donellan & Nephews, of Greece, twelve varieties of apples.

John J. Thomas, of Macedon, twenty-five varieties of apples, including a dish of Mother, very beautiful and of the highest excellence; also Paradise Winter Sweet, very handsome and good.

Timothy Stillman, of Dunkirk, Erie Co., a dish of "Orange Russet," an apple not before seen in collections, and of excellent quality.

R. H. Brown, of Greece, twenty-four varieties of apples, and Vicar of Winkfield and Winter Nelis pears.

Dr. E. W. Sylvester, of Lyons, six varieties of apples.

Messrs. A. Frost & Co., twenty varieties of apples.

James Lennox, of Rochester, Northern Spy apples, and fine Isabella, Catawba, and Clinton grapes.

Daniel Holmes, of Wilson, N. Y., a very beautiful seedling apple.

Jesse B. Walker, fourteen varieties of apples.

James M. Mattison, of Tompkins Co., a fine collection of apples, including the King.

Ellownger & Barry, thirty-six varieties of apples and forty-three varieties of pears; among the latter the Easter Beurr6, Glout Morceau, and Vicar of Winkfield were particularly fine and much admired.

Some I have no doubt overlooked, but a complete account of all will be given in the Transactions, to be published soon.* In all, there were upwards of twenty-five contributions, and all excellent of their kind; and, what is very important, in a fit state to be compared and criticized.

* The Transactions will contain a full account of the proceedings, besides reports from county committees and contributions from experienced fruit growers. It will be an interesting volume.

The main subjects discussed were: 1st. Can the cultivation of fruits for market, on an extensive scale, be recommended to the farmers and land owners of Western New York?

2d. If so, what kind or class of fruits, as apples, pears, peaches, etc.,are likely to be most advantageous or remunerative under all the circumstances?

3d. How extensively is it safe to embark in the cultivation of Winter Pears?

4th. Is it advisable to plant Pears on Quince for extensive market orchards?

These are questions of vital importance to Western New York at this moment, and I believe that the facts and opinions elicited on this occasion, touching them, will be carefully considered. The destruction of our wheat crop by the weevil, together with western competition, have already prompted some change, and not a few begin to think that Western New York was intended to be a great fruit garden for the large cities.

Towards the close, the following resolutions were adopted, offered by H. C. White, Esq., of Buffalo: - Resolved, That this Convention confidently recommend to the farmers of Western New York an increased and extensive cultivation of fruit for market, as an easy, sure, and safe means of insuring ample and speedy profits on the amount of capital invested, and the amount of care and labor required.

Resolved, That the cities on the seaboard, interior cities and villages, in connection with the extensive demand at the West for good fruits, render it morally certain that the fruit market cannot be overstocked to the prejudice of largely remunerating prices for many years to come, if ever.

Resolved, That to Apples and Peaches, as crops requiring least care and skill, the general farmer may most easily direct his labors; while the cultivation of choice varieties of fall and winter Pears, the Grape, and Strawberry, offer promise of the most remuneration for well directed labor and skill.

Resolved, That we deem the cultivation of the Pear on Quince stock, under favorable circumstances, worthy of high commendation; but that we cannot confidently recommend its general cultivation among farmers, believing those on Pear stocks will be more safe, longer lived, and insuring, for a series of years, as a general crop, a better return for the labor and capital invested.

Resolved, That to insure the proper return for labor in fruit culture, especial attention will be required to the judicious selection of good varieties, to care and skill in culture, and as of paramount importance to a full knowledge of the best means for ripening, preserving, and marketing fruits of all kinds.

A very short time was devoted to the consideration of varieties, this subject having been already pretty well canvassed in previous conventions. A committee was appointed to name a few fruits worthy of extensive culture for market, and the following were submitted and approved by nearly unanimous votes: -

The following Apples were recommended for general cultivation in this section: King, of Tompkins County, Rhode Island Greening, Baldwin, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Fall Pippin.

Pears

Bartlett, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Virgalieu, Lawrence, Vicar of Winkfield, Easter Beurre, Glout Morceau, Sheldon, Flemish Beauty.

I ought to have mentioned that our excellent Secretary, John B. Eaton, of Buffalo, was prevented from attending by a storm; his place was efficiently filled by Mr. R. R. Scott. If the weather had been moderate, I have no doubt the attendance would have been larger than any previous meeting of the kind in this country.

You may therefore record the fact that the Fruit Growers' Society Of Western New York is established on a firm basis, and has already given a guarantee of its permanence and efficiency.