48 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
wash. He added that it had been found that the purple coloring matter of 
the peach absorbed a great amount of heat, almost as much as would carbon, 
which is one of the best absorbents known. Twigs covered with carbon or 
lamp-black registered a temperature only two degrees higher than the natural 
purple twigs. 
Prof. John Craig, Iowa, said he was glad to corroborate Prof. Whitten’s 
statements regarding the efficacy of the whitewashing as a preventive of 
leaf curl. His own experience had givdn results exactly in line with those 
stated by that gentlemen. He asked as to what care Prof. Whitten had taken, 
in examining fruit buds, to distinguish between the injured blossoms and the 
sound blossoms within the same bud. 
Prof. Whitten replied: I have made no attempts at microscopic examina- 
tions of buds of the plum and other fruits which have multiple flower buds. 
My observations have been almost entirely confined to the buds of the peach; 
and, as these have but one flower to the bud, it is very easy to tell whether or 
not the flower has been injured. 
Mr. W. B. K. Johnson, Pennsylvania, said that about four years ago an 
investigator in California sent out circulars for the purpose of having tests 
made to ascertain whether the “curl leaf” could be prevented. Upon making 
a test he found that his peach trees were entirely free from “curl leaf.” He 
had been putting on Bordeaux mixture pretty strongly in the winter time, 
when the trees were not in leaf; using about five pounds of sulphate of copper 
to the barrel. He had had great success with the mixture. 
Mr. W. T. Macoun, Ontario, spoke of experiments he had made at the 
Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, at about latitude 45°, in order 
to see whether his experience would corroborate Professor Whitten’s. Not 
having peaches he made the trial with cherries and plums and to a small ex- 
tent with apples. He said the result corresponded with that attained by Prof. 
Whitten. The buds were retarded to a large degree until the warm weather 
came on. As soon as the atmosphere became warm there was very little dif- 
ference between them and they blossomed at about the same time. He had 
noticed, however, in regard to the plum trees, that the whitewashing ap- 
parently killed a considerable number, probably one-third, of the buds. He 
inquired whether or not the whitewash would prevent sun-scald on fruit trees. 
Prof. 'Whitten replied that he had no personal experience in the use of 
whitewash to prevent sun-scald, but that several fruit growers in Ohio and 
one or two other states had written to him that they had been using white- 
wash to prevent sun-scald for years and that, until they read his publication, 
it had not occurred to them why it was that it should so thoroughly prevent 
sumscald on the trunks of the trees. 
Mr. Macoun mentioned, as another point, that, in an examination of the 
bark and limbs of the trunks of his trees, this summer, he had found that the 
trees which had been whitewashed were entirely free from the oyster shell 
bark louse, while those that had not been whitewashed had it upon them. 
He thought it quite apparent that the whitewash was the preventive. 
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATION OF OFFICERS. 
President Watrous reminded the Society of the usual custom for the State 
delegations to create a committee, consisting of one from each delegation, 
for the nomination of officers of the Society for the ensuing year. He sug- 
gested that this requirement should be complied with during the afternoon, 
