50 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHL Y 



[February, 



up the misconceptions of those who only get 

 their notions of his views at second-hand. If 

 anything more for our readers be necessary, we 

 might say that if any one examines a peacli-tree 

 in the early stages of the yellows, he will find, 

 by the aid of a microscope, a cobwebby fungus 

 on the roots, which feeds on and destroys the 

 ends of the growing rootlets. He may take if 

 he chooses a shovelfuU of this fungus-saturated 

 soil, and place it to the roots of healthy peach- 

 trees, and the following year these trees will be 

 diseased. There can be no doubt from these 

 experiments that this fungus, whatever it be, is 

 the cause of the disease. What the name and 

 history of the fungus is, has never been definitely 

 ascertained. Prof. Farlow has had the mycelium 

 in earth, watching its development, but has not 

 so far been able to determine its exact charac- 

 ter. We are inclined to believe it is an Agaric, 

 but our only reason for this belief is that a small 

 brown mushroom usually appears in certain sea- 

 sons under the trees infested at the roots with 

 the fungus. This, of course, is but a probability, 

 and will not satisfy exact science. Further, just 

 how the fungus works through the system is not 

 positively ascertained. Prof. Thomas Taylor, 

 formerly of the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington, has found what he believes to be a 

 minute fungus, working through the structure in 

 connection with the yellows ; but whether this 

 has any connection with the root-fungus before 

 noted is not clear. Then there is evidence which 

 we think undoubted, that a peacii-stone from a 

 diseased tree, dead leaves from a diseased tree, 

 the use of a knife which has been at work on a 

 diseased tree, as well as the shovelfull of earth 

 we have already referred to, from the roots of a 

 fungus-infested tree, will spread the disease ; and 

 all this is in exact accord with what we know of 

 minute fungoid life, and of nothing else. There- 

 fore, while we absolutely know from actual ex- 

 periment, that the root-fungus produces the yel- 

 lows, whatever its name and history may be, all 

 the facts connected with the development of the 

 disease show the probable connection with the 

 original root attack. 



All that we see against tliis in the discussion 

 referred to, and others that have occurred in 

 Michigan lately, is that this "theory" is "per- 

 fect nonsense," and one gentleman reports that 

 he " examined the roots of a peach-tree with the 

 yellows, but he could not find any fungus." No 

 details are given. He may have had an idea of 

 finding a " fungus" as big as a puff-ball for any- 



thing we know. It seems to us that such " opin- 

 ions" are not worth spoiling the paper they are 

 printed on, and it is no wonder our correspondent 

 suggests that editors suft'er a good deal in decid- 

 ing what to do with them. — Ed. G. M.] 



Apples and Pears in Eden. —A correspon- 

 dent says: "I copy the following from Ameri- 

 can Punch for December: "The Gardener's 

 Monthly has an article on the cause and cure 

 of pear-blight. The discussion on the apple- 

 blight is left, with great reason, to the attention 

 of religious journals and the pulpit." 



[We suppose this is a reference to that cele- 

 brated apple which so badly blighted our first 

 parents, but then A. P. may remember that a 

 "pair" was blighted at the same time. — Ed.G.M.] 



Improved Lemons. — Geo. C. Swan, of San 

 Diego, California, sends a sample of a seedling 

 lemon which he names the "Olivia." Itisvery 

 juicy, and thin-skinned, and these are good 

 points in a lemon. Large quantities of Califor- 

 nia lemons now appear in the Philadelphia mar- 

 kets from Southern California, and their im- 

 provement becomes a good object. 



Selecting Grafts of Fruit Trees. — J.F., 

 Keswick Depot, Albemarle Co., Va., writes: 



"Will you be so kind as to favor me with your 

 opinion as to the value of grafts or scions taken 

 from the superfluous shoots and twigs of nursery 

 stock, pears and apples, from one to two years 

 old, from the graft, in comparison with those 

 taken from the extremities of the branches 

 (midway the trees) of thrifty bearing varieties. 

 What is the difterence in time, if any, in begin- 

 ning to bear, and in bearing qualities of trees 

 raised from these different buds or scions?" 



[Some of the anestions mentioned here, are 

 much like the "Which is the best hotel?" 

 among travelers. There are differences, but 

 after you have decided "the best," the other 

 one may be good enough for all general pur- 

 poses. I^ow, a scion taken from healthy young 

 nursery trees we should regard as good enough 

 for anybody. If we were to plant an orchard, 

 it would probably not enter our heads to make 

 it a question. Yet if it is to be an abstract ques- 

 tion which may require some nice determina- 

 tion, we should certainly decide in favor of 

 the larger, health}', bearing trees. As to the 

 time of the young trees coming into bearing, 

 all other things being exactly equal, the scions 

 from older trees would probably bear first. But 

 the chances of " all other things being equal," 

 are not good, and we fancy different people 

 would have different experiences. — Ed. G. M.] 



