Horticulture is a branch of agriculture that includes the art and science of gardening; it specializes in fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental shrubs and trees, and it includes the production, distribution, and processing of fruits and vegetables for food. The term "horticulture" derives from the Latin word hortus meaning garden and cultura meaning culture.

Horticulture in America is dependent upon plants from the wilds of this country, as well as those from foreign countries. In the early colonial days there was little time for growing ornamental plants beyond the dooryard garden. People, most of whom lived on farms, spent just about every waking hour raising crops for food, but as towns grew in size and wealth so did the opportunities to devote more time to aesthetic interests.

Horticulture is unique in its origin here in America for it was developed under seven different national groups. The Indians, the original inhabitants, made a fairly good start in growing flowers in the New World; the Spaniards introduced most of the cultivated plants of Europe; French, Dutch, and Swedes brought over their favorite esculents and ornamentals, each group growing them in its own way; a little later the Germans brought their plants and arts to modify horticulture in several widely separated regions such as New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Texas. Superimposed on the materials and arts of these six nations was British horticulture. The country is much indebted to the English, Scottish and Irish settlers for introducing old-world plants and the methods of growing them. Among the early Americans to become serously interested in ornamental plants was a Pennsylvania farmer, nurseryman and plant explorer named John Bartram. Although his first plant collection was in a sense the first bontanical garden in America, it was--perhaps more importantly--the first serious nursery enterprise. It was John Bartram who made the historic discovery of the Franklin tree in 1765 on a remote river in southern Georgia. It was relocated by his son and later by two plant explorers; after 1803 it was never observed as a wild tree.

American independence brought the dawn of a better day. Men talked of invention, organization and co-operation. Speculation ran riot in every field of life. Perhaps one immediate concrete thing that happened for the betterment of agriculture in America was the establishment of horticultural societies. The formation of horticultural societies was motivated in part by the desire to share information on various subjects for the general distribution of knowledge and experience. These societies were formed in many places, especially in the more populated eastern states.

The first scientific group in this country to have discussed matters of prime interest to gardeners was not a horticultural society but the American Philosophical Society, organized in Philadelpia in l769 to promote useful knowledge. Benjamin Franklin was its chief sponsor and first president and John Bartram was one of the original five members. Of the long list of famous men who succeeded Franklin in office, Thomas Jefferson (l797-l815) took the most interest in botany and gardening. However, it was during Franklin's presidency that a botanical garden was established.

The first horticultural society to be organized in America was that of New York city, founded September 30, 18l8, at the home of Thomas H. Kennedy, with Thomas Storm as its president. The Society existed until about 1837.

In the state of Ohio many counties had organized horticultural societies, but the first permanent state horticultural society was the Ohio Pomological Society, organized in Columbus in 1846. The purpose of this Society was to represent fruit and flower growers of Ohio and to provide educational information. Later, in 1867, the name of the Society was changed to the Ohio State Horticultural Society, under which name the organization existed for 85 years. In 1952 the name was changed to the Ohio Fruit Growers Society.

In Montgomery County the first horticultural society was formed on July 31, 1846, and it was called the Dayton Horticultural Society. The main feature of the Society was to make a great display of fruits and it met only in the summer, weekly. However, this Society lasted only two years; its last exhibition was in the spring of 1848. A second attempt was made on March 28, 1857, under the same name and same objectives, but after only two meetings the Society died. Finally the Montgomery County Horticultural Society was organized on December 14, 1867, in the City Council Chamber and the founder of this organization was Nicholas Ohmer. Elected officers were: Nicholas Ohmer, President; William Gunckel, Vice-President; Richard Gundry, Secretary; and Robert W. Steele, Treasurer. The mission of this Society was to promote practical horticulture by encouraging the cultivation of higher types of fruits and vegetables and to better adorn and beautify the city of Dayton as well as the homes of its members. It also became a means of a highly enjoyable social life.

At first the meetings were held at Wilt's Commercial College in Clegg's Hall on Third Street every other week and were attended only by men. When attendance started to decline the Society had to come up with a solution to save itself. During a meeting in October 1868, a committee was appointed to formulate a new plan and this plan was unanimously adopted. The social feature became part of the method of conduct of the Society, and it was to remain so to the end. Ladies were allowed to become members and meetings were held at the homes of the members. Later the meetings were held at the County Memorial Building, or at the WMCA (Women's Christian Association). Elaborate noon luncheons were held during the meetings (except for the summer months). The Society met every first Wednesday of the month; the annual membership dues were only one dollar.

During the meetings, monthly reports were given by the members of the standing committees, and participants took an active part in discussing the essays and the reports of fruit and vegetable prospects.

Major subjects were:

• Ornithology
• Research
• Floriculture
• Agriculture--Vegetables and Fruits
• Entomology--Bees
• Domestic Economy
• Meteorology
• Ornamental Planting
• Membership--Good Cheer

The Society's reports were published in magazines and horticultural papers in many parts of the United States as well as in local newspapers such as the Dayton Daily News, Dayton Journal and Journal Herald. Many leading members of state societies and professors of horticulture and agriculture departments of universities visited the Society to study their plans. The Society was advertised as the best model of its type by virtue of its maintaining a large membership with interesting meetings and activities that were useful, if not rare, among such organizations.

One of the interesting features of the meetings was the table displays of choice fruits, vegetables and flowers grown and brought by its members. The Society also participated in the exhibits at county fairs as well as in the World's Fair in Vienna. The Centennial Exposition of l876 also asked the Society to provide exhibits of some kind, while the Census Bureau in Washington, D.C., sent for statistics and dates of its exhibits.

The people of Dayton in the early days had been eager to plant orchards and trees,and the Society did much for the improvement of the city. It urged not only the planting of trees but also the care of birds and conservation of wild flowers of the Miami Valley. A member, Mr. Emerick, reported that his father planted six acres of peaches along the Miami river, south of the city, in l840, ten acres in l847, sixty acres in l855, twenty acres in l862 and fifty acres in l866. Not only Mr. Emerick but many other men were of great help to Dayton. These included J.H. Patterson, who saved so many of the beautiful trees south of the city; Mr. Steele, for whom Steele High School is named; Mr. Ohmer, for whom Ohmer Park is named; Captain Stivers, for whom Stivers High School is named; and Mr. Van Cleve, who contributed a deal to horticulture.

The Society also was involved in philanthropic activities: Mr. Steele and others urged the improvement of the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library Park and the creation of many other parks. Also, Ms. Jane B. Marlay, who was an honorary member, took the initiative in raising more than $1,000 to restore the Dayton Public Library books ruined by the flood of l913. This sum was used as a nucleus for restoring children's library books. Thomas Staley, a former member of the Society, left a bequest ofone hundred dollars. This was used to establish a library for the Society. In l937, after years of use, the entire collection was presented to Dayton Public Library when Mr. William Hamilton was director of the Library.

From 1846 to 1944 the Society had eleven presidents and seven secretaries.

Presidents:

• Job Haines (1846 - 1848)
• Jeremia H. Peirce (March 28-July 11, 1857)
• Nicholas Ohmer (served 1867 - 1904)
• J.J. Fromm
• J.H. Kauffman
• J.G. Denlinger
• J.M. Craven
• J.W. Rockey
• W.J.H. Schutz
• A.W. Barnes
• Ira Siebenthaler
• J.D. Smith
• E.T. Fisher Secretaries:
• John Van Cleve 1846 - 1867
• Richard Gundry 1867 - 1870
• (Because Mr. Gundry was sick from June 20, 1868 - February 3, 1869 various members acted as secretary)
• W.F. Herkes 1870 - 1872
• I.H. Kierstel January - June 1873
• William Ramsey 1873 - 1895
• F.W. Ritter 1896 - 1901
• Dr. Daniel Berger 1901 - 1916
• Alice Kyle Niebel 1916 - 1944

The only people who are mentioned extensively in the collection are Mr. Nicholas Ohmer, Dr. Daniel Berger and Alice Kyle Niebel.

Mr. Nicholas Ohmer, the founder of the Montgomery County Horticultural Society, was born in Alsace, France, in April l823. He came early to Dayton with his father and family and became interested some years later in the cultivation of orchards and fruit. The orchards of Ohmer Park were planted and cultivated by him. He died in Dayton in February l903 at the age of 80.

Dr. Daniel Berger, son of Daniel and Esther Berger, a respected churchman and veteran editor, was born February 14, 1832, near Reading, Pennsylvania, and died September 15, 1920, in Dayton, Ohio. He came to Springfield, Ohio, in 1838 with his parents and family. At the age of 18 he entered the Ohio Methodist Conference high school. After graduating he taught in the Linden Hill Academy at New Carlisle. In 1854 he was licensed to preach by the United Brethren church and in 1858 he was ordained. He succeeded John Lawrence and preceded Bishop Milton Wright. He married May Frances Merry of Cincinnati on July 28, 1853.

Alice Kyle Niebel, the daughter of William and Carrie Kyle, was born in Centerburg, Ohio, in about 1866 [?]. She came to Dayton as a child and lived there for almost all her life; her father owned a book store on Fifth Street. On October 16, 1898 she married William A. Niebel. Alice was a former school teacher and taught for many years in the Dayton public school system. Her last teaching post was at Webster Elementary School. She left teaching in 1913 and joined the Dayton Public Library as a clerk; from 1914 to 1918 she was an assistant at the circulation desk. In January 1918 the Library established the Shelf Department and Mrs. Niebel was assigned to be the supervisor. This department marked the beginning of systematic training of pages, who were comprised of paid high school pupils whose job was to place borrowed books in their proper places and to replace books which had been misplaced during a day's operation. The department continued under her guidance until 1941 when she retired; during her 28 years of service she trained 350 pages, many of whom participated in WWII. During WWII she maintained correspondence with 85 of the page boys she had trained and were now in military services, and the letters she received from them were collected in the Dayton War Collection of the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library.

From 1916-1944 she served as Secretary of the Mongomery County Horticultural Society and from 1911-1944 she wrote regular newspaper columns on horticulture for the Dayton Daily News, the Dayton Journal and the Dayton Herald newspapers. Also during this time her Sunday garden column published during the summer was a familiar feature. She was also Secretary for two years of the Dayton Women's Suffrage Association (1918-1920). Finally, her home was the site of the first organization of the Unitarian Church in Dayton.

Mrs. Niebel died on February 5, 1949 and had no immediate surviving relatives.

The Montgomery County Horticultural Society contributed significantly to the farming industry, which was this nation's largest employer before urban industrialization arrived. The study of nature--living among, loving and understanding the things of creation--was paramount to the Society. It acted as a source of information and guidance, which encouraged the study of problems affecting agriculture and rural life. Knowledge concerning the plants themselves was enlarged and it is obvious from the many papers presented to the Society, available in this collection, that it had a leading role supplying the needs of agriculture of that time.