DISEASE RESISTANCE IN PLANTS. 137 



this section of the country seems to aflFect some varieties more 

 seriously than others. In his own experience he had noted that 

 Superfin and Urbaniste were affected the most, while Bartlett, 

 Anjou, and jNIerriam had very generally escaped the blight. 



Robert Cameron said that Prof. Jackson's lecture was very 

 interesting although it did not contain much that was very new. 

 The subject is as old as the oldest plants we have on the earth at the 

 present time. All the plants we have now are those that survived 

 the numerous diseases and enemies they had to contend with in the 

 ages that are past; and it is all a question of the survival of the 

 fittest. We can never expect to have plants without disease. 



He said that he was much interested in the references to disease 

 resisting violets and canteloupes and would like more information 

 concerning them. In the matter of the coffee leaf disease to which 

 the lecturer had referred he stated that at one time in the East 

 Indies the Arabian coffee was almost destroyed by a fungous disease, 

 but the industry was saved by substituting another species, the 

 Coffea Liherica, which was a more robust and a larger-growing 

 plant than the Coffea Arahica. 



Mr. Spooner called attention to the fungous disease of the holly- 

 hock and asked if someone could give a remedy for it. 



Mr. Cameron, in reply to INIr. Spooner's inquiry, stated that 

 hollyhocks raised from seed sown early in January and grown along 

 in a moderately warm house made good material for planting out in 

 INIay, and that plants grown in this way were more thrifty and less 

 subject to the attacks of disease. 



James Wheeler said that much trouble was experienced by 

 growers from the fungous diseases of plants and that the only 

 thing to do by way of a remedy was selection and new stock. This 

 was very well, however, for annuals, but, ^Miat shall we do for 

 apples and pears ? for which there does not seem to be any cure. 

 AMiat can be done to save our trees ? 



Mr. Cameron replied that many of the diseases that attacked our 

 plants were often blessings in disguise. The gy\)sy and brown-tail 

 moths have been a great expense but we have learned a lesson 

 that by spraying our orchards we are able to raise much better 

 fruit. We can control disease but we cannot cure it. 



