* C2-Lanc«ster Farming, Saturday, December 21, 1996 GENEVA, N.Y. Chris Owens’ efforts in Cornell Univer sity’s pomology program were re cognized by Hugh Price, chairman of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Agricultural Ex periment Station in Geneva, N.Y., when he presented Chris with the 1996 Petrine Scholarship Award recently. “Overall, I am really thrilled to receive the award, and very grate ful to the Petrine family for en dowing it,” said Owens. “I think it is really wonderful that there are families out there supporting agri cultural research at major research universities.” The 23-year-old Owens grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and spent his col lege summers running his own residential land scaping business. At the time, he was an under graduate at the Univer sity of Maryland major ing in horticulture. “I gained a lot of business experience," said Owens, “and I liked be ing an entrepreneur, but not enough to keep me from going to graduate school." _ The graduate school Owens chose was Cor nell University, where his lifelong interest in plants and gardening has resulted in him pur suing a master’s degree in pomology. “Fruit is my main interest,” said Owens. “And in New York State, studying fruit means studying ap ples.” Owens is working with horticultural sci entist Ed Stover, at the Experiment Station’s Hudson Valley Labora tory in Highland, N.Y. “We have two particular projects," said Owens. “Both of them involve the use of a plant growth regulator. In one proj ect, we are trying to in duce the early flowering of apple trees by using the growth regulator to inhibit a plant hormone. In the other project, we are using the same growth regulator to im prove the vigor of apple nursery stock." After getting his mas ter’s degree in August 1997, Owens plans to continue studying for his doctorate. After that, he hopes to become the equivalent of a profes sor at a major land grant university practicing horticultural science “preferably in pomolo gy,” said Owens. The Perrine scholar ship was established by David Perrine (Cornell ’22), in 1993, in support of pomology research work at the Geneva Ex periment Station. Per rine, a prominent or chardist from Centralia, Illinois, established the generous gift in memory of his wife, Fanny Owens Receives Perrine Scholarship Fanny, who was of ten called “Superwoman,” by her husband, tan many of the farm’s activities and was deeply involved in community activities. David and his brother, Alden (Cornell ’47), were partners in the Perrine Orchard, farming 600 acres of peaches, apples, and pears. Jim Cummins, professor emeritus of horticultural sciences at Geneva, who has known and admired the Petrine family for many years, said David, who died this past year, “was the best fruit grower in the Midwest” He was a leader in the fruit industry, with a long and distinguished record as an apple and peach grower, presi dent of the National Peach Coun cil, a member of the National Ap ple Institute, and president of the Illinois State Horticulture Society. “Dave continued to be active in dwarf fruit tree experimentation even when he was in his 905,” said Cummins, who first met the Per rines after World War 11. David and Fanny were instrumental in Cummins continuing his studies in pomology at Cornell after he fin ished his undergraduate course work at the University of Illinois. SCRANTON (Lackawanna Co.) The Northeast Tomato Growers Meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 6, at Thompson’s Dairy Bar on the Newton-Ransom Boulevard in Lackawanna County. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Reservation deadline is Friday, Dec. 27 at the Lackawanna County Cooperative xiik, • rod. * “'X* reat> >« *** rr£ s * ***«• „ -*»«««*■%“ W ' £.* l:3<>. 32, r6-7t »• fat into thcwyofr*’ rtet ufourriM« re tfumkii u pmbcts m custom?*' the coming y^ af - Tomato Growers To Meet Extension office. Sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Lackawanna County Horticultural Association, the 1997 program will focus on soil tilth, soil fertili ty, tomato diseases, pesticide applicators training, and more. Speakers include Alan Mac- Nab, Lynn Hoffman, Cyril Smith, Tom Jurchak, Don Overdoff, and The $2,000 Perrine Scholarship Award is credited to the research account of the student’s thesis ad viser with the stipulation that it be used to support the student’s re search program. In 1995, it was awarded to Thomas E. Clark, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Cornell, and conducting a re search project on chemical thin- SincereCy, lyuCpCy IM ***** 0-^ Maran<R>rt° rst ' SeC - ning with Terence Robinson. In 1994, it was awarded to Patrick Conner, a doctoral student in pomology whose research with Susan Brown focuses cm the gene tic mapping of apples and the identification of certain sequences in the apple genome that deter mine traits, such as size, flavor, and color. John Esslinger from Penn state. Joseph Colangelo from the Department of Agriculture will be present to assign training credits for recertification of applicators of restricted use pesticides. Reservations (includes lunch) are $lO to be mailed to Lackawan na County Extenions, 200 Adams Avenue. Scranton, PA 18503 by Dec. 27.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers