Late Rose. For the present and indeed, till 
late in the spring, the cold of the season cuts 
off the supply from this quarter and we shall 
have to go to New York or Missouri for seed. 
In restocking such vast sections of country 
with seed of a crop like the Irish potato, it is 
a matter of much importance that we should 
get the best varieties and especially those of 
recent origin, because the Irish potato, like 
all plants propagated from slips and cuttings, 
sooner or later degener ates, and for the fol¬ 
lowing reasons: 
1. Plants, herbs and trees have no unlimited 
lease of life, but.like everything else that lives 
in this world, they die. 
2. If they are propagated by seeds and 
without change, they cannot be propagated 
indefinitely by any other means of reproduc¬ 
tion. 
3. Reproduction by cuttings or slips weak¬ 
ens the health and vigor of the plant and con¬ 
sequently shortens its life. 
4. The seeding of potatoes by cuttings or 
slips is the adoption of this method of repro¬ 
duction. 
5. This continued process weakens the race, 
leads to a state of decrepitude aud decay, 
which varies from 40 to 00 years. 
0. When the plant has reached this stage of 
weakness, it needs but an unfavorable season 
to produce a half or full failure of the crop. 
7. Other causes besides those of au unfavor¬ 
able state of the weather, contribute to the 
failure: a too-long succession of crops on the 
same land; planting in soil too dry, too moist, 
or too compact; the abuse of manure and fer¬ 
tilizers; and the use of imperfect seed, and 
others. 
8. As to early and late varieties, the former 
are more subject to disease than the latter; 
aud as to early or late plautiug, the latter are 
less subject to rot than the former. 
9. It is useless to try to regenerate an old 
variety, except by the way of its seeds, even 
if it succeeds better for several years when the 
seasons are favorable. 
We canuot make old men young again; 
when the seasous are unfavorable they suc : 
cutnb from slight causes; when they are pro¬ 
pitious a few only die. It is a postponement 
ouly for a few months or a few years at most. 
It is the same with the Irish potatoes; their 40 
or 60 years are equivalent to the three score 
aud ten of the human race. 
From what has been said, it results, that if 
we destroy races by the use of slips or cut¬ 
tings, we must create others by the means of 
seeds. 
2. We should avoid, as far as possible, using 
the same land for potatoes year after year. 
8. We should not plant in too cool or too 
moist soils, and in the choice of seed, we 
should select new iu preference to old varie¬ 
ties. 
4. Too much manure and fertilizer, causing 
rot, we should use both quite moderately. 
5. IVe should employ for seed only mature 
and fair-sized tubers, avoiding those which 
have been softened by too high a temperature, 
and, above all, those which ha ve prematurely 
sprouted. 
6. It is not safe to trust for a certain crop, 
oue year with another, varieties, whether 
early or late, that originated more than 
twenty-five or thirty years ago. And in con¬ 
clusion: 
7. We should favor iu every reason¬ 
able way the production of seedliugs the 
parents of which are of kuown excellence. 
It would be presumption to recommend any 
one, two, or three, or more special varieties 
for the restocking of the middle west coun¬ 
try. Of those which have cut a prominent 
figure for the last 20 or 25 years, there is the 
1‘eachblow for a late variety; the Early Rose 
and Early Ohio for early, aud the Late Rose 
for the medium crop. So far, the colored po¬ 
tatoes have proved superior to the white. If 
we can get three or four new varieties equal 
iu merit to the old ones named, we shall have 
reason to be thankful fora drought which has 
introduced us to the regeneration of Irish po¬ 
tato varieties that have been going to decay for 
half a generation. 
Champaign, Ill. 
faint tuples. 
MORE OF FARMERS’ INSTITUTES. 
Too much reyard for speeches by polit icians ; 
too little for Jit ness of chairmen. 
W iiiLE the subject of farmers’ institutes is 
in the Rural’s atmosphere a lew other things 
should be said. It was my fortune to attend 
several of these gatherings last winter. It 
would not have been very far-fetched to have 
asked the gentlemen whether the institute had 
been called to give certain politicians a hear¬ 
ing or for the discussion of questions relating 
to practical agriculture. In oue of these in¬ 
stitutes in particular, a gentleman who has 
devoted several years to the careful study of 
questions that interest the practical farmer 
and gardener was asked to come and deliver a 
paper upon one of the most important topics 
with w hich farmers have to deal. After con¬ 
siderable correspondence he accepted the invi¬ 
tation and traveled more than 100 miles to 
fulfill his engagement. On his arrival he was 
told that his paper would be called for the first 
one in the evening session. The session ar¬ 
rived, and, without, apology', the chairman 
announced that a certain Senator was iu the 
house who was very auxious to address the 
farmers and w'ho must leave shortly to fulfill 
another engagement. The programme would 
therefore be altered to suit his convenience. 
After an hour of politics, another Senator ap¬ 
peared on the scene with a similar request. 
Again the programme was ignored and 
another political speech was discharged. Af¬ 
ter the town clock had struck nine and a por¬ 
tion of the audience, tired if not disgusted, had 
left the hall, the gentlcmau who, by request, 
bad come more than 100 miles to visit the 
meeting, w r as permitted to read his paper, If 
our agricultural specialists are to be treated 
in this manner, it will not., and should not, be 
long before the field will be surrendered to the 
politicians. 
Another serious mistake in the management 
of institutes is the method of appointing the 
chairman. The aim has too often been to flat¬ 
ter some of the more prominent, farmers of 
the district by electing thorn to the chair with¬ 
out the least reference as to whether or not 
they are competent to fill the position. The 
result has often been that the interest of the 
meeting has been largely' destroyed through 
the inexperience or incompetence of a man in 
the chair who, however successful be- may 
have been in some other calling, had not the 
first requisite of a successful presiding officer. 
The chairman of so important a meeting 
ought, by all means, to be chosen for his fit¬ 
ness, It is certainly a poor compliment to ask 
a farmer who enjoys the respect of every one 
to display himself before a large audience in a 
capacity for which he has never fitted himself. 
I am very' glad to know that these mistakes 
WILDER PEAR. From Nature. Fig. 470. 
are not permitted in all of our farmers’ insti¬ 
tutes. They should no longer be tolerated 
in any of them. o bumbler. 
R. N.-Y.—Our correspondent does good 
service in calling attention to two points that 
have wrecked many farmers’ meetings. Man¬ 
agers of farmers’ institutes will do well to 
heed them. These meetings are for farmers. 
Politicians will be ouly too glad to seize 
upon them for the purpose of airing 
themselves mid their views, and if they over 
do get started the “farmer’' part of the meet¬ 
ings will lie very small indeed. The chang¬ 
ing of a programme is dangerous business and 
should uever be doue to accommodate an out¬ 
sider—oue not on the programme originally. 
The act of nouimatiug a muu for chairman 
w ho has little experience in such a position 
is a very questionable kiudness. 
p.omolo^ical. 
A NEW PEAR, THE WILDER. 
Specimens of the Wilder pear wore received 
by me on July 30, having been started from 
their home three days previous. I kept them 
in my office—a warm room without any means 
of retarding—until August 8, so that the pears 
kept without rotting for two weeks. Al¬ 
most all early pears rot at the core upon slight 
provocation, but I have not seen oue of the 
Wilder rot at the core. 
It is a chance seedling, and the specimens 
sent me and shown others were grown with¬ 
out culture and without thinning, the fruit 
crowding closely on the branches. The origin¬ 
ator writes as follows: “The tree has enough 
of fruit on it—perhaps too much for the best 
results. One small branch, the only upright 
oue, less than an inch in diameter, bears over 
two dozen flue-looking pears. There is only a 
part of one tree in bearing. I have three or 
four small ones grafted in the past two years. 
The seedling tree was planted aud partially 
grafted to Buffum pear about 18 years ago. 
I have cut off about a third of the Buffum iu 
the past two years. The new pear now com¬ 
poses about a third part of the tree. Its size 
is medium, or one or two sizes smaller than 
the Bartlett. Its quality is good, perhaps it 
may be classed among the best. It keeps well 
and seldom or never rots at the core. The 
tree is located in front of our horse barn, 
about 40 feet distant, iu a thicket of plum 
sprouts, aud is surrounded by other trees, ex¬ 
cept on the south or roadway side. The cul¬ 
ture consists m cutting down the plum sprouts 
when they get so large as to be in the way. 
The seedling branches are three in number, 
each about two inches in diameter, and grow 
out into the roadway in a straggling, irregu¬ 
lar mauner. more earthward than skyward, 
exposed to the rubbing of loads of hay and all 
the curious lingers in Christendom, besides an 
occasional savage who goes for the largest 
specimens. The tree when loaded with red- 
cheeked pears looks something like Clapp’s 
Favorite,Avith its long, straggling arms, bend¬ 
ing low with its burden.” 
John J. Thomas gives the following des¬ 
cription: “Medium or rather small, regular 
in form, rather obtuse, smooth, greenish- 
yellow with a brownish-red cheek and numer¬ 
ous conspicuous dots; stalks rather stout, au 
inch long, slightly sunk in a narrow, irregular 
cavity; basin moderate, calyx rather small; 
flesh white, line grained, melting, of ‘very 
good’ flavor, or excellent.” 
I have shown specimens of this pear to the 
leadiug pomologists of Rochester. They pro¬ 
nounce its quality exeelleut and its appear¬ 
ance attractive. In comparison with other 
pears of its season it is nearestlike Giffardaud 
Andre Desportes, but it is of a quality super¬ 
ior to either. It has a brighter cheek, a deep¬ 
er yellow skiu, and it is undoubtedly the best 
in quality of its season. The engraving, Fig. 
470, with cross-sectiou at Fig. 471, represents 
a specimen below the usual size owing to 
drought. Specimens last year were larger. 
Rochester, N. Y. cuas. a. green. 
A NOTE FROM PRESIDENT BARRY IN 
REPLY TO PRESIDENT LYON. 
Boston the unanimous choice for 'he last 
convention of the American Bornological 
Society, a truly national organization ; no 
sectional feeling among members. 
In the Rural of November 121 find a com¬ 
munication from Mr. T. T. Lyon, of Michi¬ 
gan, relative to the Amorieun Pomologieal 
Society. He says that iu consequence of hold¬ 
ing the last meeting of the society in Boston a 
feeling had arisen at the West aud South that 
those regions had been Iu some sense ignored. 
I will not venture to say that Mr. Lyon is mis¬ 
taken, because lie has good opportunities of 
knowing the state of feeling at the West: but 
I will soy that such a feeliug has never been 
manifested in the slightest degree at auy 
meeting of the society that 1 have attended, 
aud I have been absent from ouly two or 
three meetings during the entire life of the or¬ 
ganization. The action at Grand Rapids, 
Mich., at the previous bieuuial convention, 
in regal'd to the meeting at Boston, was abso¬ 
lutely unanimous, and emphasized by a stand¬ 
ing vote. 
All seemed delighted with the idea of go¬ 
ing to Boston to meet President Wilder. The 
general impression has been and is now that 
the American Pomologieal Society is one of 
the most truly national societies in existence. 
Its meetings have been held in the principal 
cities of the Union, North, South, East and 
West. Its officers and committees have been 
selected from all the States and Territories. 
There has never been a particle of strife as 
to where meetings would be held, but invar¬ 
iably unanimous action. 
It is quite true that members of the society, 
like other people, entertain different opinions 
on many subjects; but this is no proof of a 
sectional feeling. I trust that no such feeling 
will ever gain a foothold in the society, but 
that in the future, as in the past, it will pros¬ 
ecute its good work with vigor and har¬ 
mony. 
The society is to be congratulated on hav¬ 
ing elected with entire unanimity Mr. P. J. 
Bercktuans, of Georgia, as president. He is, 
iu all respects, worthy of the high honor, and 
is eminently qualified to discharge the duties 
that may devolve upon him. There is no fear 
that the society will suffer in his hands. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
w. J. green. 
Suppose that, wo have a given type of any 
species of plant, say of cabbage, to what ex¬ 
tent. must we modify it by selection lie fore we 
may call it a new variety ! 1 Suppose that we 
start with seed grown in Europe: the plants 
will at first not be able to endure the heat of 
our summers, and will form very few solid 
heads, but iu time, without auy apparent 
structural changes, there will be a decided 
improvement in ability to endure heat. Is it 
now a new variety? 
Suppose that we continue selection so os to 
secure greater depth of the head, or a shorter 
stem, or to advance the time of maturity,aud 
accomplish the object sought, have we now a 
uew variety? Suppose we take a variety of 
oniou aud so modify aud improve it by selec¬ 
tion that it. produces 25 per. ceut more than 
formerly, have Ave originated a uew variety ? 
We need not go on makiug suppositions,for 
almost every cultivated variety of gram and 
vegetable is an example of what selection may 
do to modify types. Now is each departure 
from the original type to be called a uew vari¬ 
ety? If not, what shall we call it, or shall wo 
ignore it ? We canuot ignore those modifica¬ 
tions, for very often a slight departure from 
the original type is of great value to the far¬ 
mer or gardeuer. Au increase in productive¬ 
ness or gain iu earliuess has a definite value 
to the practical tnau. To him they are evi¬ 
dent aud tangible, but they may not so appear 
to those who look for structural differences 
alone. To call these modified forms “strains” 
instead of “varieties," does not help us greatly; 
we still need a clear definition of what is 
meaut by the term variety. Must the struc¬ 
tural differences be plaiuly A'isible to the eye, 
and must the new form be tlio result of a 
cross? If the closest scrutiny reveals no dif¬ 
ferences, aud yet we know that owing to 
heredity or other causes differences really ex 
ist that show in the crops, what then? 
Iu order te answer the above questions aud 
before we are ready In determine synonyms, 
the question first asked must be definitely 
settled, if any one says that two types must 
have certain structural differences if they 
are to be called distinct varieties, he lays 
down arbitrary rules that others may, or may 
not abide by. Botanists do not always agree 
as to species; but the variety question is still 
more difficult, aud can never be settled, ex¬ 
cept arbitrarily, it is comparatively easy to 
group similar forms, and the temptation is 
often strong to lump them off' us synonyms. 
This, however, is but part of the work that 
needs to be doue, and if it stops with the 
grouping process it had better uot be doue at 
all, for half the truth is worse than nothing, 
if the other half is left untold. What needs 
to lie done is to group similar forms and then 
characterize each as far as it is possible to do 
so. This latter jwirt of the Avork is Avhat prac¬ 
tical men need. If oue strain of a variety of 
graiu has stiffer straw than another, or is a 
few days earlier, or less liable to disease.it is 
a matter of great consequence, aud they want 
to kuow it. If the experimenter fails to note 
these differences, no amount of scientific 
knowledge that he may display will convince 
the practical man that he is a good observer. 
These remarks ure incidentally called forth 
because of the Rural’s criticism on au “Oat 
