years and as writer of
the column of "Ruralisms" in this paper he has left much valuable
information on plant life and plant growing. From 1902 to 1910 he was
also Vice-President of the Rural Publishing Company. While at Little
Silver he was breeding fruits, roses, chesnuts, lilies, freesias,
azaleas, and other ornamentals.

In 1909 he went to the Plant Introduction Gardens of the United States
Department of Agriculture, at Chico, Cal. As the climate did not agree
with his wife, he remained at Chico but a year and moved to Washington,
D. C., where his official work was with drug plants and chestnuts, but
his own time was largely devoted to breeding work with a wide range of
other plants, a continuation of much of the work he had been doing at
Little Silver. The move to Chico, Cal., resulted in a great loss to his
breeding work. Some of his material was left at Little Silver, much of
it died in the uncongenial climate at Chico, and other promising plants
were lost in the long shipment across the continent, both going and
coming.

In 1916 he was transferred to the office of Horticultural and
Pomological Investigations where he was permitted to devote himself to
plant breeding along such lines as looked promising to him, while at the
same time he continued his work with chestnuts and chinquapins and a few
drug plants.

Dr. Van Fleet was born at Piermont, N. Y., June 18, 1857. His early
years were spent on a farm but later he lived at Williamsport, Pa. In
early life he made a study of birds, his first book being "Bird
Portraits," published in 1888, apparently being a reprint of magazine
articles, one of which dates back to 1876. He was also a successful
taxidermist, having studied under Maynard, and trained several of the
leading taxidermists of his generation, including Charles H. Eldon of
Williamsport, Pa. At nineteen he spent a year in Brazil, first connected
with a party constructing a railroad around some of the rapids of the
upper Amazon, and later in connection with the Thomas scientific
expedition collecting birds and plants.

August 7, 1883, he married Sarah C. Heilman of Watsontown, Pa., who was
associated with him in his medical practice and in his breeding work,
and has been a sympathetic and helpful companion, and who survives him.

His was a most lovable personality. Those who came into contact with him
day after day appreciated best his sterling qualities. He was kindly and
considerate and nothing was t