TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION. 
15 
Bartram, Bleecker Meadow, Brandywine, Catharine Gardette, Chancellor, 
Haddington, Jones, Kieffer, Kingsessing, Lodge, Mather, Moyamensing, Ott, 
Penn, Pennsylvania, Petre, Philadelphia, President Felton, Rutter, Seckel, 
Steinmitz Catharine, Steinmitz Spice, Tyson, Washington, Wilmington. Of 
these the Bartram and Petre are still standing in Bartram’s Garden Park. 
Bleecker Meadow was still in Kensington until improvements carried it 
down. The original Jones, the Kingsessing and the Kieffer are still standing. 
I had to pause over the Seckel, while reading the list for you, as a thought 
struck me that it is not always the discoverer of a good thing in fruit culture 
or the man who first finds a seedling of value who should receive all the 
credit for the thing itself. The credit should be shared by the man who 
knows the thing to be worthy and who pushes it along and makes it known 
throughout the world. Now, the Seckel pear was bearing in Philadelphia for 
years before any one took particular notice of it; and it was not until its 
worth was appreciated by Dr. Hosack, who owned a garden where Columbia 
College now stands, that attention was attracted to the Seckel. Mr. Seckel 
was a resident of the lower part of Philadelphia, where he owned a farm 
which was afterwards bought by Stephen Girard and part of which has been 
secured to the city as a public park forever. The tree, I believe, is still 
standing. 
The Kieffer pear is another illustration. Peter Kieffer, a modest French- 
man, a remarkably good gardener and fond of plants, had a relative, the 
famous Baumann, who continully sent him new and rare plants. The Sand 
pear of Japan was one. Its branches grew intertwined with a Bartlett pear. 
From seed of this Sand pear Mr. Kieffer grew a seedling tree and when 
it produced fruit he found he had something very good, but that was 
all. He used to give the fruit to his neighbors, and for years those 
pears were sent around in that way without any one doing more than smacks 
ing their lips over them. After a while the Centennial Exhibition came, and 
some of those pears were exhibited. William Parry, of New Jersey, was one 
of the exhibition judges. He saw he had a good thing. He gave Mr. Kieffer 
a trifle for a few grafts; and today, as you know, the Kieffer pear has put 
thousands and thousands of dollars into the hands of others. But for Mr. 
Parry’s knowledge of the value of the fruit in money and his energy in 
making it known, it might be yet but a curiosity found only in some German- 
town gardens. 
In conclusion I would remark that in ancient times it was a custom among 
the Greeks and Romans, as it is today, to bestrew the graves of their loved 
dead and heroes with flowers and branches. The custom in Greece was to 
use for that purpose the olive and the daphne. The branches that they were 
required to use in decorating were not plucked here and there and everywhere, 
but messengers were despatched to Mount Olympus, w^hich was supposed to 
be the birthplace of the gods, to procure from there the branches to be used 
in the decoration. Philadelphia is the Olympus where your Society was born. 
In like manner I cut from this city’s history the olive and daphne with 
which to bind garlands for the dead past on this occasion; and having laid 
them at your feet, and I hope with some degree of honor to our city and with 
pleasure to you all, I will now retire. (Long continued applause.) 
Mr. W. C. Strong asked if Mr. Meehan could give the list of varieties of 
apples in connection with the list of pears which he had given. 
Prof. Meehan: I would be glad to do so; but, on account of the growth of 
this city, the orchards of first class varieties have disappeared. Even the 
