THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 219 



ease in a short time. The germs in a diseased tree escape to the 

 surface in a sticky substance ; they are washed free of the gum by 

 the rain, dropping to the ground, multiply in decaying substances 

 beneath the trees, or in wet places near by. Here they pass the win- 

 ter, and may live for several years. They are borne in the air when 

 dry by the wind, being so extremely minute that they may be thus 

 borne and carried great distances, coming in contact with the ten- 

 der twigs, or the centre of flowers, and finally into the tree, produc- 

 ing disease. Professor Arthur found that although he experi- 

 mented with many kinds of bacteria germs, only those found in 

 blighted pear trees caused blight. 



"Professor Lazenby reports experiments showing that soil 

 mulched with straw is invariably lower in temperature than ground 

 unmulched, teaching that it was not desirable to mulch strawber- 

 ries where late spring frosts were prevalent, as strawberries mulch- 

 ed would be injured more by the frost than those unmulched. The 

 only method by which mulching would be valuable in preventing 

 damage by late spring frosts is by keeping the mulch above the 

 plants and not permit the blossoms to be exposed until the danger 

 of frost is past. 



" Mr. Pierce of Ohio said that there were thousands who did not 

 know the delights of growing the finest flowers and fruits. Enlist 

 your wife and children in your work, says Charles W. Garfield. 



" Mr. Lyon considered that brevity is always desirable for names 

 of new fruits. The name of the originator or introducer would 

 rarely be found inappropriate, or the name of the place where the 

 variety originated, and either will generally possess the advantage 

 of requiring but a single word. "While the wish to add a charac- 

 teristic word, designed to convey an impression of superiority, 

 causes the name to be cumbersome, it does not aid in distinguish- 

 ing the variety. 



