14 WORCESTER COUNTT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1893. 



whether to reject or use the stones of fruit that is surely tainted. 

 Wrote Andrew I. Downing, a half-centurj since, in the very 

 first edition of his invaluable work on " The Fruit and Fruit- 

 Trees of America " : 



" In this total absence of proper care in tlie selection both of 

 the seed and the trees, followed by equal negligence of good 

 cultivation, is it surprising that the peach has become a tree com- 

 paratively difficult to preserve, and proverbially short lived ! . . . 



" The utmost care should be taken to select seeds for planting 

 from perfectly healthy trees." 



Are we wiser than our fathers, or merely too careless or lazy to 

 profit by their experience ? In the most recent competition for 

 our premium proposed for — "A new Seedling Peach originated 

 in Worcester County"; it was discouraging to note the number 

 of specimens ofi'ered, in which pervading taint was manifest to 

 the most casual inspection. Are peach-stones obtained with such 

 difficulty that we must needs make use of those from infected 

 fruit ? Our Hall should not be turned into a quarantine station, 

 and corrupted or diseased fruit should find no welcome in it, 

 being outlawed always and everywhere. 



Mr. Downing adds : 



"All specific applications to the root, of such substances as 

 salt, ley, brine, saltpetre, urine, &c., recommended for this dis- 

 ease, are founded on their good eff'ects when applied against the 

 borer. They have not been found of any value for the Yellows." 



Fifty years have rolled by, and it is but a short while since we 

 had a note of encouragement from Amherst, conveying glad tid- 

 ings of great joy, fraught with assurance that the Yellows had 

 been finally conquered by a direct application of specific reme- 

 dies. That note is attuned more softly, of late, and at no time 

 became loud enough to disturb the music of the spheres. But 

 now comes our honored Associate, venerable among Pomologists 

 everywhere, of whom he stands towards the ripe close of a stain- 

 less life facile princeps^ John J. Thomas, challenging attention 

 to the experiments of Dr. J. F. Smith, of the Department at 

 Washington, by which it is made to appear conclusively that 

 " applications of potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen in various 

 forms, bone-black, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, ashes, 



