170 STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Hon. X. W. Lewis, of Ganges, called atteution to the difference consequent 

 upon havinir a dead local society and a live one. Berrien county growers did 

 Bot unite, did not try to fight their foes, and they are in desolation. Allegan 

 and Van Burcn growers were alarmed ; they combined and aided one another 

 by study and relation of experience, and they have triumphed and are prosper- 

 ing. A live society means live peach trees. 



Mr. ^y. A. Brown would not belittle the local societies, but he thought some 

 of them were prone to resjard themselves as of too much importance, ignoring 

 the great benefits of the State and national oiganizations ; and he paid a de- 

 served tribute to the labors of President Lyon in his preparation of the cata- 

 logue of fruits. J. C. Gould, of Paw Paw, and Freeman Kice, of Lawton, 

 attested the value of the work of their societies, particularly in checking the 

 spread of the yellows. J. Lannin, of South Haven, spoke of the excellent 

 results of his society in a social way. 



The hour having arrived for adjournment. President Lyon announced the 

 following committees previous to dispersion for the night: 



Commiltee on Frui7— Emmons Buell, Kalamazoo; Chas. R. Coryell, Jonesville; 

 J. S. Owen, Saugatiick. 



Committee on Eesolutions — E. W. Cottrell, Greenfield; "VV. J. Beal, Lansing; 

 IT. C. Sherwood. Watervlict. 



On motion of Secretary Garfield, a committee was appointed to nominate 

 vice presidents for the various counties in the State. 



The President selected as such committee Messrs. James Satterlee, Green- 

 ville; J. B. Damont, Allegan; A. C. Glidden, Paw Paw. 



Wednesday MovJiing Session. 



The resignation of Geo. Parmelee as a member of the executive committee 

 was read and accepted, at the o[)ening of the morning session, after which, 

 upon request, the articles of association and by-laws of the society were read. 

 The attendance was much smaller than upon the preceding evening, but before 

 noon there was as great a number present. 



The first topic of the session was 



DESCRIBING APPLES BY THEIR FLOWERS. 



Prof. Beal, of the Agricultural College, led with an essay. 



He had examined the flowers of 100 sorts, some of them ^rrown in localities 

 seventy miles apart, and many flowers were examined for each variety, and the 

 general average taken. Prof. Beal exliibited charts showing highly magnitied 

 representations of tlie petals and styles, the former enlarged to 20 and the 

 latter to 50 times the diameter of the natural size. These parts of the flower 

 varied much in the different varieties, while they preserved much uniformity 

 in each sort. Some of the varieties were distinguished for their small petals, 

 otiieis for large ones; while the form varied frum round to ovate, or oval, cor- 

 date, ol)long, irreguhir, and with footstalks or claws. The variation existed to 

 an equal extent in the styles. He thought the styles in apples were of all or- 

 gans tlie most reliable for describing varieties. 



Prof. Beal [)ointed out 22 distinct points or characters in all, derived from 

 the flowers of apples. T^hese will largely as.sist in determining varieties, the 

 only drawback being at a time of year when the fruits cannot be seen. 



