338 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XV hi. No. 465 



gous foes with the long end of the lever. It must be a good, 

 promising crop that will warrant the expense of fungicidal 

 applications, and the larger the promise the greater the 

 profit. 



One other thought that follows upon this, and the end of 

 this paper is reached. When a house or a community is 

 afflicted with some contagious malady, pains are taken that 

 the germs of the disease shall not remain lurking in out-of- 

 the-way places, and assert themselves in the future. The 

 carpets, and even wall-paper, are removed ard the whole 

 house fumigated or otherwise treated with some germ de- 

 stroyer. While as thorough a cleansing as this is not possi- 

 ble in orchard, vineyard, or garden, there are some measures 

 that could be taken with protit. If weeds are left to mature 

 and scatter their seeds, weeds are expected to follow. In like 

 manner, if all diseased leaves, stems, and fruit are allowed 

 to pass the winter undestroyed, the chances are that the 

 biblical injunction will not be overturned — concerning sow- 

 ing and I'eaping. Tliere is a legitimate and therefore profita- 

 ble amount of soil-sanitation to be done, which comes under 

 the head of cleaning up after crops. Tlie burn-heap is to be 

 a potent factor in future horticulture. If we continue to 

 scatter the seeds of fungus decay, of that sowing we shall 

 reap corruption. 



It is a law of plaut culture that the continuous growing of 

 any one crop upon a given area of soil, tends to the concen- 

 tration of the enemies of that crop — whether of insects or 

 fungi. With annual crops, like most of those of the garden 

 and grain field, the remedy is more easily applied, than in 

 the case of fruits. There is a strong inclination to grow the 

 crop for which the soil is naturally best fitted. Thus the 

 onion grower desires to keep his best onion land continuously 

 in onions, and the smut finally increases and ruins his crop 

 and future prospects. Sweet potatoes can be grown to greatest 

 profit only upon a special soil, in limited areas, and constant 

 cropping has permitted the soil-rot to increase to such an extent 

 that the crop is often a failure. The same is true of clover 

 and other crops, but more particularly of those that are sus- 

 ceptible to some root disease. It therefore follows that in the 

 serious consideration of our subject, the importance of a 

 judicious management of crops should never be overlooked, 

 and a system of rotation adopted that will bring the greatest 

 health, other things remaining reasonable and satisfactory. 



This continuous change of crops, united with full rations 

 of available plant food, and proper sanitation, will do much 

 to lighten the labors of the fungicidal applications, and ren- 

 der all such when found necessary of the greatest benefit. 



Let the spraying of crops vpith compounds of copper, etc., 

 come after the fair thing has been done for that crop under 

 the head of farm or garden management. Here, as else- 

 where, the ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, 

 simply because it is prevention, and if we look at fungicides 

 carefully, it will be found that they are preventions, after 

 all. 



Do not let me be misunderstood in this matter, for I am a 

 full believer in the virtues of fungicides. There are many 

 places where they pay and pay well, but they cannot do 

 everything. They may ward off' destructive diseases, as the 

 copper salts for the black-rot of the grape, but they alone will 

 by no means bring a profitable crop. Everything else needs 

 to be done for the vines that will bring a full fruitage, and 

 then it will pay to save the crop from premature decay. And 

 finally, to carry my point one step further, when the plants 

 have been surrounded by the best sanitary conditions, it is 

 possible that the application of fungicides may be sometimes 



omitted. However, it will be a long time before all these 

 points are settled, and in the mean time nothing is lost by 

 turning them over in our minds. 



ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. 

 A PLANET of the twelfth magnitude was discovered by 

 Borrelly at Marseilles, France, Nov. 27. The position of the 

 planet was in E.A. 4 h. 6 m. 6.7 s , (J + 33° 33' 58". The 

 motion was — 1 m. in R.A. and — 7' in declination. 



The following ephemeris will assist those who desire to 

 make a search for Winnecke's periodic comet, mention of 

 which was made in a recent number of Science. The epoch 

 of the ephemeris is for Berlin midnight. 



1892 R.A. Dec. 



h. m. s. " 



Jan. 1 12 17 12 + 13 2 



2 18 15 13 4 



3 19 17 13 7 



4 20 18 13 9 



5 21 20 13 12 



6 22 20 13 15 



7 23 20 13 18 



8 24 20 13 21 



9 25 19 13 25 



10 26 17 13 29 



11 13 27 15 + 13 38 



The following isacontinuation of the ephemeris for Wolf's 

 comet. The epoch is for Berlin midnight. 



1891 R A. Dec. 



Dec. 27 



39 



31 



1892 Jan. 2 



4 



6 



8 



10 



- 14 37 

 14 26 

 14 16 

 14 5 

 13 58 

 13 39 

 13 25 



- 13 16 



An interesting fact connected with the movement of this 

 comet through the heavens, as seen from the earth, is that on 

 the 6th of next February it will occupy almost the same posi- 

 tion in the sky that it did on Nov. 12 last. This is also true 

 of Nov 14 and Feb. 8; Nov 16 and Feb. 10. G. A. H. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Pintor or Aguaje is a singular phenomenon observed in 

 the Bay of Callao during the sum^ier months, from December to 

 April. It consists of emanations of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, 

 accompanied by changes in the color of the sea- water. The name 

 " Painter" is given to it because it gives white paint a blackish 

 tinge. Its occurrence is not confined to Callao, but is observed at 

 various points along the coast from Payta (5° 5' 30" south latitude) 

 to Pisco (13" 43' 43" south latitude), and at Pacagmayo(7° 34 30'' 

 south latitude). The gas proceeds from the black mud which 

 covers the bottom of the bay, and the reddish discoloration of the 

 water is due to the presence of infusoria brought in fiom the 

 open sea. It is not, however, definitely decided why the phe- 

 nomenon occurs only in the summer and at certain points of the 

 coast. According to Raimondi {Bull of Amer. Geog. Soc, Vol. 

 XXIII. , No. 3), the waters of the Rimac are prevented from es- 

 caping from the Bay of Callao by the Huoaboldt current, which 

 flows past the entrance, and, with the solid matter held in sus- 

 pension, are exposed to the full force of a tropical sun. Where 

 there is no river, or no current running along the coast, the 

 " Painter'" is not observed. 



