283 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



New Yorker, he. cit. Some bearing trees upon which the scale 

 had been located last autumn by Prof. Smith, had meantime been 

 cut down and destroyed. Satisfactory apparatus for treating the 

 infested nursery stock was found. Upon the scale being pointed 

 out by Prof. Smith on a considerable number of young pear and 

 apple trees that were heeled in, and in patches here and there in 

 rows, they were cut down as fast as found, and, finally, Mr. Lovett 

 agreed to chop out and burn the entire block. The larger part of 

 the nursery stock had been heeled in, after having been treated with 

 gas. The scales upon them, according to Prof. Smith, had been 

 " practically killed," and, if treated again before being sent out, he 

 would consider them safe. Mr. Lovett would " guarantee to destroy 

 every tree where Prof. Smith had found the scale, and, also, to give 

 all these trees a second treatment with gas." The Rural New 

 Yorker concludes its account thus : " If this is done, there will be lit- 

 tle danger of importing the scale from this nursery. This state- 

 ment refers simply to the trees now in the nursery. What has 

 already been sent out we do not know." 



Much may be inferred, and seems to be implied, in the short sen- 

 tence last quoted. It is here that the Lovett Company has chosen 

 to place itself in a position exposing it to just and severe criticism. 

 It virtually declines to do anything toward undoing the evil which 

 it has perpetrated — for the most part unwittingly, we believe — in 

 the distribution of infested stock in the State of New York. 



Request was made of them from this office in November, 1894-, 

 for a list of sales such as Mr. Parry had sent me — stating fully its 

 character. After several months' delay, reply was made (Feb. 4:th), 

 declining the request upon the ground of the immense labor that it 

 would involve, but offering to place their order books at the disposal 

 of any persons who might be sent for their examination. As this 

 plan did not seem feasible to Dr. Smith — after further correspond- 

 ence with him, he was asked to procure, if possible, the desired 

 list from the Company for me, for which the expenses incurred 

 would be paid. Dr. Smith wrote them, urging compliance with 

 my request. The letter received from the Company in answer con- 

 tained the following proposition : " If he [Prof. Lintner] will send 

 us, or you either, a remittance of $250, we will attempt to make the 

 examination desired. * * * But we want a clear understand- 



