Editorial Notes. 



" Those Foot Notes." 



The foot notes, referred to in our last issue, can be found in the last Report of 

 American Pomological Society, for session of 1871, as follows : 



Page 80 — " The Secretary would here remark, that conductors of journals and pub- 

 lishers of books are utterly ignorant of varieties of fruits or plants. It is their busi- 

 ness to publish and sell, and look to returns on the credit of the writers who supply 

 them matter; and it has become too noted, in all our journals, to longer be ques- 

 tioned, viz. : that if a journalist can obtain matter, free of cost, his position, simply 

 as publisher, frees him from any responsibility ; and hence it is that the record of a 

 man of one year's knowledge and acquaintance of fruit, or principle, is valued or 

 recorded equal with him who has devoted a life to the subject." 



Also, on page 79 — " The Secretary of the American Pomological Society would 

 like to remark, that just here comes in the fact of so much of incorrect nomenclature, 

 viz. : it is from the egotistical ideas of knowledge, assumed by men who have had but 

 half a dozen or so of years acquaintance with a fruit, and are void of any knowledge 

 of it outside of their own immediate locality." 



The italics, in the first paragraph above, are our own, and indicate the most em- 

 phatic portion to which the press take exception. 



Since the publication of our editorial for May, the subject has been commented 

 upon by various influential journals in the East and the West, and the conviction 

 seems to be general that Mr. Flagg will be found a most useful and popular officer. 

 We did not propose, by our May editorial, to commence any specific personal warfare 

 against the individual who has proved obnoxious, by the misuse of his position ; we 

 simply gave publicity, as matters of horticultural information, to the reports which 

 were flying around, from parties desiring a change, and indorsed the idea, believing 

 it would be for the higher good of the American Pomological Society. We do not 

 propose to follow the Ex-Secretary into his retirement, nor (as Mrs. Partington says) 

 be always flinging epitaphs at him ; we have adopted a course which is without ofi'ense — 

 his name and his articles are strictly forbidden in any columns or pages under our 

 control. He shall have the crush of Time's most demolishing weapon — perfect silence. 



The Agriculturist, Hearth and Home, Rural Neio Yorker, Weekly Sun, Weekly 

 Tribune, are equally unanimous in the desire for change ; and in each of these 

 journals Mr. Flagg is supported. The Western Rural passes high compliment upon 

 the wisdom' of the change, and the judicious choice of Mr. Flagg. Doubtless other 

 journals will soon express opinions, and the " Tempest in the Teapot " will have full 

 force ere the ides of September. It is well known that not a single journal, in New 

 York city, of agricultural or horticultural character, now prints the Secretary's arti- 

 cles, uniformly refusing all of them ; and in general his name is absolutely forbidden 



