GENERAL HISTORY. 151 



Mr. Lyon was also appointed a member of a committee of the society to 

 prepare resolutions respecting the death of Charles Downing, which occurred 

 at his home at Newburgh, New York, January 19th, 1885, at the advanced 

 age of eighty-three years. 



lie also attended the Agricultural Congress held at the exposition as the 

 representative of the .\lichigan State Horticultural Society. 



He was also made chairman of the committee charged with the deter- 

 mination of the awards to several large collections of fruits from England and 

 France. 



On F. bruary 18th a very large collection of citrus and other fruits arrived 

 from Florida, among which were guavas and other fruits of a very perishable 

 nature, the awards upon which were made by T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, and G. 

 B. Biackett, of Iowa. 



On February 23d, T. T. Lyon, H. E. Van Deman and E. H. Calkins were 

 designateil to make the awards on the trees, plants, roses and other shrubs, 

 together with a very large display of bulbs in beds and now in flower. Having 

 accompl shed this, the same judges were asked to pass upon an immense ex- 

 hibit of citrus fruits just placed upon the tables from Florida. 



As Mr. Lyon's connection with the Michigan exhibit was now closed and 

 he had arranged to leave for home, he only consented to undertake this upon 

 condition that the work could be completed prior to the middle of March. 



The task was rendered the more difficult by the circumstance that the ex- 

 aminations of the Florida fruit must be made before the arrival of the Cali- 

 fornia collections with which they were to compete, thus rendering it necessary 

 to value each plate and entry upon a scale of points, and make a record of 

 each, to be compared with a similar record of the competing California entry, 

 when examined. 



Upon completing the examinations and records of the Florida exhibit, news 

 was received that the competing display from California could not be upon 

 the tables before nearly or quite April, and since Mr. Lyon's stay until that 

 time would too seriously interfere with his duties at home, he was released 

 from farther committee work and started for home on the 10th of March. 



The State Legislature of 1884 and '5 had appropriated the sum of $1,000 

 to he used under the direction of the Governor of the State in providing 

 facilities for the proper reception and accommodati<in of the American 

 Pomological Society, at its biennial session to occur at Grand Rapids, in Sep- 

 tember, 1885. 



Evart H. Scott was appointed by the Governor to have charge of the 

 disbursement of this fund, and after paying the accruing expenses he returned 

 to the State treasury an unexpended balance of $168.75. 



Early in June, 1885, upon the invitation of the State Board of Agriculture, 

 the executive board of the State Horticultural Society, the officers of the 

 State Grange, and the executive committee of the State Agricultural Society, 

 assembled at the Agricultural College and spent the day in looking over the 

 various departments. After dinner the company, together with the faculty 

 and students, were gathered in the chapel, where several persons were called 

 on for short addresses. Among these the president of the State Horticult- 

 ural Society took occasion to reiuark upon the value of a scientific education 

 as the proper basis upon which to baild a practical as well as a technical 

 knowledge of horticulture. The selection of L. H. Bailey, Jr., a life mem- 

 ber of the State Horticultural Society, as professor of horticulture at the 

 college, was favorably commented upon by several of the gentlemen present. 



