564 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



which are sold for one reason only: to allow some one an unreasonable and 

 undeserved profit. The sale of such products is an outrage upon the pro- 

 ducer and consumer alike. It hurts every farmer and fruitgrower espec- 

 ially, and the cost of supporting a commission which will relieve the 

 people of the extortions practiced will be saved many times, besides pro- 

 viding a purer food supply, the value of which can not be estimated by 

 dollars and cents. Stuff which never saw an apple sold for cider vinegar, 

 and bogus jellies manufactured by the most noxious methods, should be 

 branded by their true name. 



The corresponding secretary read a paper on the origin of the so-called 

 Seckel pear, proving that this pear was misnamed. The benefactor who 

 gave us this highest type of the American pear was a German by the name 

 of Sichel who raised this pear tree from seed at Baltimore, Md., and that 

 this pear should be called Sichel, or, if this name should be translated into 

 English, Sickle would be more proper. There is no such name as Seckel 

 in all Christendom. The writer saw a tree at Economy, Pa., obtained 

 about seventy years ago from Mr. Sichel of Baltimore. 



Mr. Ganzhorn remarked that it was desirable to address Mr. Thos. 

 Meehan of Philadelphia, who claims that the pear in question originated 

 in Philadelphia by a Mr. Seckel, and if Mr. Sichel was really the origin- 

 ator the American Pomological society should be requested to change the 

 name of this pear. 



Mr. Herman Markham had a fine exhibit of fifteen varieties of potato 

 which were of the finest kinds grown. 



Mr. J. J. Parshall gave notice that the name pomological should be 

 changed to horticultural at the next meeting. This change, he thinks, 

 would induce many horticulturists to join our society. 



President J. Austin Scott coiducted the April meeting of the society 

 with his usual promptness and executive ability. The corresponding sec- 

 retary read the resolutions in memoriam of Prof. Alexander Winchell. 

 Mr. Ganzhorn spoke of the good work the professor accomplished by an 

 article on the "Michigan Fruit Belt," published in Harper's Monthly in 

 1866. President Scott alluded to the noble character of Prof. Winchell, 

 with whom he was personally acquainted, and thanked Emil Baur for the 

 resolutions of condolence and the notes on the publications of the pro- 

 fessor, by which the advantages the state of Michigan offers to agriculture 

 and horticulture became known, not only in this country but all over 

 Europe. He hoped that this legislature would recognize the services 

 which the late professor erave to the state, paying for these publications 

 out of his own pocket. Ths state owes a debt to the memory of Mr. Win- 

 chell which was denied him by the legislature of 1871, and ever since. 



Mr. Ganzhorn spoke of the care of fruit trees after planting. So many 

 trees die for want of cultivation during the hot season and the nursery 

 man gets the blame for it. Many fitting remarks were made by others on 

 this topic. 



The president gave a list of apples for general use, based on the best 

 results of his own experience, as follows: 



For Family Use — (summer) Early Harvest, Yellow Transparent, Red 

 Astrachan, Early Strawberry, Sweet Bough, American Summer Pearmainj 

 (fall) Gravenstein, Porter, Mother, Shiawassee, Norton's Melon, Snow, 

 Williams' Favorite, Grenni winkle Sweet, Red Streak, Green Sweet, Fall 

 Pippin; (winter) Jonathan, R. I. Greening, Northern Spy, Red Canada, 



