Mr. B. Gott, of Arkona, Ontario, has recently published a biographical notice of the venerable Pomologist who has so recently passed away. He notes his birth on the 9th of July, 1802, and that of the famous landscape gardener, his brother, Andrew Jackson Downing, in 1813. The father was a nurseryman at New-burg, but died before Charles was twenty-one years old; but he at once took hold of the business, and, young as he was, continued it with complete success. When Andrew came of age the style of the firm was made C. and A. J, Downing. A few years later, the latter desiring to devote his whole life to the development of garden art, Charles purchased a property near their old home and established his nursery and experimental grounds alone. Charles was a great admirer of his talented brother, who, at thirty years of age, gave us the Fruit and Fruit Trees of America, in 1845; and after melancholy death in the attempt to save fellow passengers from drowning, took pride in continuing and amplifying the good work his brother began.

Mr. Gott quotes Mr. J. J. Thomas in an anecdote showing the different paths of usefulness in the lives of the two men - the one delighting in working to improve the tastes of men and women already possessed of high intelligence, and with the means to develop actual beauty, - the other, plain, patient, plodding, proud to collect facts and information, and glad to let anybody or everybody have the whole value of his work in any way they could. Charles Downing retired from business in 1857-58, and then gave his whole subsequent life to the advancement of pomology. He met with an accident which broke his ribs on October 22, 1882, and died January 18, 1885, in his 83d year.

These facts have been given before in scattered paragraphs; but in this connected and concise form will have a new and fresh interest to all.