SUMMER MEETING AT OREGON. 167 



high price. The local press can greatly assist the horticulturlist by ad- 

 vising them to buy only known and tried sorts. Not that we would 

 deny all new varieties, but then the probabilities are that when you sub- 

 scribe for them through some traveling agent, representing a nursery up 

 in Iowa, or over in Illinois, or some other state, you will get some com- 

 mon, and very common, varieties, instead of the new varieties with the 

 high sounding names you subscribed for. And then, again, if they 

 should prove true to naine, as represented, the testing of new varieties 

 is expensive, and should be left to our experiment stations, and every 

 state should have one, for, should they prove worthless, your money and 

 time arc both thrown away. 



The local press may assist the horticulturlist by publishing nothing 

 but what comes from responsible sources. We are acquainted with a 

 person that killed a number of fine plum trees by following a recipe he 

 had read in a paper for destroying curculio by the use of coal oil. He 

 poured it on the trees and found it a sure thing, for both curculio and 

 trees died. The local press may assist the horticulturlists by publishing 

 the proceedings of their meetings and the papers and discussions had 

 thereat. We are glad to note that within the last few years the press 

 of our state has awakened to the fact that horticulture is worthy of some 

 of their space, and much more attention than formerly is given it. We 

 might speak of the healthfulness of fruit, and especially of small fruits, 

 and point out the great good the press might accomplish by urging 

 their more general cultivation, at least for family use, if not for profit, 

 but we fear we would tire your already over-taxed patience. 



THE FOLLOWING LETTERS WERE READ : 



Lees Summit, Mo., May 22, 1888. 



L. A. Goodman, Westport, Mo.: 



Dear Sir: — I forward you by mail to-day, a box of diseased plums 

 in various stages of development. We had a frost at the time they 

 were in bloom, and I attribute it to that. Am I right.-* This variety is 

 the CJuaker Plum, the fruit of which when perfect, is almost as round as 

 a marble and of excellent qualit)-. I think that about five'per cent, of 

 this xariety is affected. Other varieties also have them, but they arc 



