February 2012 NHC NEWS A Monthly Bulletin of the Northwest Horticultural Council HARD CIDER & FUN   This year will see few significant bills passed by Congress, given the sturdy political walls and dour continences now separating those in elective office.  The nation’s voters will have their say on all this next November 6. Perhaps political managers of today’s presidential aspirants should seek help from the past on how best to corral votes on Election Day  For example, one could journey back to William Henry Harrison’s bid for the presidency.  A favorite song of that campaign: Come ye who, whatever betide her, To Freedom have sworn to be true, Prime up with a hard cup of cider, And drink to old Tippecanoe.   On top I’ve a cask of good as good, sir, As man from the top ever drew; No poison to cut up your blood, sir, But liquor as pure as the dew.   Parched corn men can’t stand much longer, Enough is as much as we’ll bear; With Tip at our head, in October, We’ll tumble Van out of his chair.   Then ho! For March fourth, forty-one boys, We’ll shout till heaven’s arched blue Shall echo hard cider and fun, boys, Drink, drink to old Tippecanoe. General Harrison was “Tippecanoe”, a nick-name arising from an armed conflict in 1811 when he served as governor of Indiana Territory against a confederacy of Indian tribes led by, among others, Tecumseh. (This same Tecumseh inspired the middle name of the Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman.) In 1840, William Henry Harrison, a Whig, ran against “Van”, or President Martin Van Buren, a Democrat.  From the lyrics to this campaign song, it is apparent the presidential election that year was decided in October (not the current November) and that Inauguration Day was the following March, not January as has been the custom since 1937. Unfortunately, President Harrison died after only a month in office.   Thankfully, not of hard cider but of a cold that turned into pneumonia. ¨ CORRECTION In January’s edition of this publication the name of a new law was misstated: it is the “Food Safety Modernization Act” not the “Food Safety Moderation Act.” The editor thanks John Rice of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for bringing this error to his attention.  Mr. Rice also incisively noted that tree fruit growers could only hope that the new food safety law would be in “moderation.” Mr. Rice, a member of the set of brothers honored by the Good Fruit Grower as its 2011 “Growers of the Year”, has been a friend for many years.  ¨ Travel   Christian Schlect February 7-13 - Annual meetings of Freshfel Europe’s Import and Export Divisions and the World Apple and Pear Association; and attendance at Fruit Logistica, Berlin, Germany. February 22 - NW Pear Research Review, Wenatchee, Washington. Mike Willett February 22-24 - NW Pear Research Review, Wenatchee, Washington. The study of German widens so before me…I wish to do this branch of my tree of knowledge thoroughly―even to picking the gnarly fruit… January of 1856 Letters of James Russsell Lowell Northwest Horticultural Council 105 South 18th Street, Suite 105 Yakima, Washington 98901, USA Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615 E-mail general@nwhort.org