LEGAL MATTERS. 



45 



den and Forest makes the following comment upon the experi- 

 ment: "Last year we gave some account of the efforts to 

 check the spread of the tent-caterpillar in certain parts of 

 Massachusetts by offering prizes to the children for collecting 

 the largest number of egg-belts, as well as a certain sum for each 

 thousand. We have received a circular which is signed by D. 

 D. Slade, President, and L. H. Farlow, Secretary of the New- 

 ton Horticultural Society, which has been doing work of this 

 kind. In the winter of 1891-92 it is estimated that 25,000 

 eggs of caterpillars were destroyed, and during the winter of 

 1892-93 more than 40,000 were destroyed. The city of New- 

 ton also appropriated $500 to be used under proper supervision 

 for cutting down such trees as formed breeding-places for 

 insect pests. The Newton Horticultural Society proposes to 

 continue this work this year, and offers to pay a bounty of 

 $1.00 for every thousand belts, while the city has appropriated 

 $800 for the continuation of its work. The enlistment of 

 children in this crusade against destructive insects is valuable, 

 not only for its immediate effect in checking the ravages of 

 these pests, but it has a certain educational value by encourag- 

 ing in children habits of observation and furnishing object- 

 lessons in more than one natural science." 



Dropsical diseases of plants have been brought to the atten- 

 tion of American cultivators during the year, particularly by 

 the writings of Atkinson and Halsted.* 



5. LEGAL MATTERS. 



There appears to have been little legislative activity dur- 

 ing the year in specific horticultural directions. In Michigan, 

 it was found that the peach yellows and black knot law passed 

 in 1891 f was unconstitutional because it does not conform to 

 the requirements of the State constitution which provides that 

 " No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be 

 expressed in its title." The yellows law of 1891 violated this 

 provision in two respects. It embraced more than one object, 

 and one of its objects was not expressed in its title. This 

 alone would have made necessary a revision. But in Ann 

 Arbor another defect was discovered. The law provided for 

 yellows commissioners only in townships, while it was soon 

 found that such officers are desirable in the city, within the 

 limits of which were some peach orchards infected with 



*G. F. Atkinson, (Edema of the Tomato, Bui. 53 Cornell Exp. Sta., 

 (Edema of Apple Trees, Bui. 61, Cornell Exp. Sta. B. D. Halsted, Drop- 

 sical Pelargoniums, Bui. Torr. Bot. Club, xx. 391 (Oct. 1893). 



t Annals for 1891, 104. 



