1879] REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 2/ 



" Ansault is sufficient," — as Mr. Barry says. When the place 

 produces another pear worth naming — name it ! Until then, 

 sufficient unto the day be the pear, like the evil thereof. The 

 Josephine de Malines and Winter Nelis originated in the same 

 city. Nomenclature has few difficulties that we do not create 

 for ourselves ; and all combined are less troublesome than 

 would be caused by the disuse of a foreign or dead language. 



The plague of Frugivorous Birds has continued with us 

 throughout the past year. As though it were not enough for 

 the fruit-grower to have his enemies in-lawed ; he must also see 

 his prospects of redress grow dim in consequence of deliberate 

 efforts to spread false information. Let Shakespeare and Mil- 

 ton hide their diminished heads ! as the Monthly Reader, " cir- 

 culated among the schools," utters the following "Plea of the 

 Sparrow : " 



'' So don't, good master, grieve us, 

 But cheer us and relieve us ; 

 And we will eat, next season, 

 The canker-worms your trees on." 



How can any one expect the young idea to "shoot," when 

 loaded with a full charge of such bathos ! 



But hark to a man who knows something ! Who was, in fact, 

 dismissed from the Department of Agriculture for that singu- 

 larity ! Professor C. V. Riley, in a letter to the Commissioners 

 of the District of Columbia, expresses the opinion that "the 

 " English sparrows have been useful in ridding the shade-trees 

 " of cities of the canker-worm, but believes that they will become 

 " great pests in time to the farmer and fruit-grower. He be- 

 " lieves that the insects most troublesome to the fruit-grower 

 " are not touched by this sparrow. It does not save the elm 

 " from being riddled by the Galeruca. He does not believe it 

 " possible to exterminate the bird /zc'w, but would not protect 

 "it, — letting it take its chances." And he adds, — what your 

 Secretary, having implicit faith in the boys of Worcester, takes 

 pleasure in publishing more widely : — " One thing is certain ; 



