8 9 
produced the celebrated "Kieffer Pear," a cross between the 
Bartlett, and Chinese sand pears. In company with Joseph 
Meehan, I made several visits to this place to inspect its stock 
of rare shrubs and trees, and when we called it was always 
the pleasure of Mr. Kieffer to show and ours to view, the 
"original Kieffer pear tree." Peter Kieffer was a rare char- 
acter, a lovable old man, who November 7, 1890, in his 
eightieth year, passed to his rewards, and was laid to rest in 
St. John's Grounds at Manayunk, a place I never pass with- 
out stopping to think of him. George Kieffer continues the 
nursery. 
If not remarkable, it is at least interesting that several 
common products had their origin, or their first use in Ger- 
mantown, or in its nearby territory. The famous "Seckel 
Pear" was a "find" upon the "Holland tract" of land in lower 
Philadelphia. It was discovered by a local sportsman, famil- 
iarly known as "Dutch Jake," and was publicly made known 
first by Bishop William White. The ground upon which the 
pear tree stood after came into the possession of the Seckel 
family. Lawrence Seckel, who first introduced the pear com- 
mercially, is represented in the fifth generation by a resident 
of Germantown, — Miss Gertrude Seckel Jenkins. 
The "Chancellor Pear" we have referred to, and the 
"Catherine Pear," a standard favorite, was by Dr. W. D. 
Brinkle, named for Catherine Gardette, a member of the 
well-known Germantown family. Eastward from Main 
Street, in Mount Airy, were numerous fine gardens, which" 
may be represented by those of Justus H. Schwacke, and 
John Hartman — the latter being an able botanist. 
Proceeding northward upon Main Street, we soon come 
to what was once William L. Schaffer's rural retreat, now 
covered by the buildings of "The Pennsylvania Institution for 
the Deaf and Dumb," and here was raised the once popular 
"Paragon" chestnut. Mr. Schaffer was a public-spirited cit- 
izen, and he and his sister provided the means to build "Hor- 
ticultural Hall" upon Broad Street, Philadelphia, a building 
