MICHIGAN AND THE AMERICAN POMOLOG- 



ICAL SOCIETY* 



During the last session of the Michigan Legislature a joint resolution was 

 passed making an appropriation of $1,000 to bo used in properly representing 

 the State at the meeting of the American Pomological Society to be held in 

 Boston, Massachusetts, the second week in September, 1881. In June Gov- 

 ernor D. H. Jerome appointed a commission composed of five gentlemen, to 

 gather such an exhibit of Michigan horticultural products as seemed best, and 

 to be present as delegates at the meeting in Boston. The commission con- 

 sisted of the following gentlemen : T. T. Lyon, South Haven ; J. G. Rams- 

 dell, Traverse City; Evart H. Scott, Ann Arbor; W. K. Gibson, Jackson; 

 W. J. Beal, Lansing. Soon after their appointment the commission met in 

 Kalamazoo and organized, electing T. T. Lyon President, W. J. Beal 

 Secretary, and W. K. Gibson General Manager. President Lyon read the 

 following in reference to the business of the meeting : 



Particulars to be suggested to meeting of commissioners at session to occur 

 at Kalamazoo, July G, 1881, at 1 o'clock, p. m. : 



1. A chairman with general oversight and power to direct. 



2. A secretary with the usual powers. 



3. Divide the State into districts for collection purposes. 



4. Designate a collector for each with power to choose assistants, but with 

 the suggestion to work preferably through local societies. 



5. Collections to comprise as many varieties of creditable, well-grown, 

 perfect, even-sized, well-colored fruits as practicable ; late sorts may be taken 

 even tliough lacking maturity and coloi*. 



6. Native wild fruits and nuts are specially desirable so far as they are 

 susceptible of being attractively exhibited. 



7. Collectors may properly be required to bo guided in their collections by 

 the instructions of the State Horticultural Society to its awarding committees 

 *'to consider 1st, the value of the varieties; 2d, the color, size and evenness 

 of the specimens; 3d, their freedom from insect marks or other blemishes." 



8. The American Pomological Society is understood not to encourage large 

 collections, therefore if duplicates be sent it should only be for the purpose of 

 exhibiting the results from variations of climate or soil or other special influ- 

 ences. 



9. The utmost care should be had that everything be true to name, and 

 that few if any large and showy, but worthless or indifferent varieties be sent. 



* In the preparation of this article the Secretary is very largely indebted to papers written to 

 the Michigan Farmer by President T. T. Lyon and a manuscript account furnished by Frof. Beal, 

 Secretary of the commission. 



