90 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  23,  18B«. 
THE  ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S 
EXAMINATIONS. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  remarks  of  “  A,  D.,”  in  your  issue  of  the 
16th  inst.,  will  elicit  opinions  from  past  examinees  and  others  as  to  the 
causes  accounting  for  the  absence  of  many  practical  gardeners  from  the 
examinations. 
As  one  who  “  went  through  the  mill  ”  of  a  single-handed  place  for 
several  years  when  a  young  man,  my  sympathies  are  fully  enlisted  in 
favour  of  the  rank  and  file  who  are  trying  to  improve  themselves,  and  1 
would  suggest  one  or  two  points  for  common  discussion. 
1.  Freparation, — That  this  is  not  only  useful,  but  absolutely  neces¬ 
sary,  no  one  will  deny.  Its  value  is  evidenced  by  so  many  (50  per  cent,) 
of  the  first-class  positions  being  taken  by  the  Chelmsford  candidates. 
The  thorough  and  detailed  instruction  provided  by  the  Essex  County 
Council  deserves  not  only  pra’se  but  imitation.  The  practical  point  of 
the  greatest  interest  to  us  now  la  that  of  the  time  for  study  at  the  dis¬ 
posal  of  the  majority  of  working  gardeners.  We  know  only  too  well 
that  country  families  have  not  enjoyed  much  prosperity  during  the  last 
fifteen  years,  and  it  may  possibly  be  found  that  most  gardens  are 
perforce  short-handed,  and  consequently  afford  little  time  to  gardeners 
for  self-improvement, 
2.  Date  of  Examination. — The  busy  month  of  May  possibly  prevents 
the  attendance  of  some  who  would  gladly  submit  to  examination  shortly 
after  winter.  If  opinions  and  experiences  on  this  point  could  be  obtained, 
some  valuable  expressions  might  result. 
3.  The  Admission  of  Amateurs  as  Candidates, — Oa  this  subject 
many  diverse  opinions  may  be  expected,  but  it  is  one  that  none  of  our 
high-minded,  sterling,  practical  gardeners  would  condescend  to  notice, 
knowing,  as  they  do,  the  more  important  practical  difficulties  which 
prevent  them  from  attending.  Any  examinations  of  this  class  must  be 
open  to  all  who  love  horticulture  at  present,  but  when  amateurs  can  be 
subjected  to  penalties  for  daring  to  practise  gardening  the  examination 
may  be  “  close.”  Practical  gardeners  having  suitable  leisure  for  prepara¬ 
tion  could  easily  outdistance  the  amateurs  even  now  ;  indeed,  the  lists 
this  year  show  that  at  least  one  working  gardener  has  beaten  seven 
Chelmsford  students  and  twenty-eight  College  candidates.  What  one 
has  done  others  can  accomplish,  and  when  the  tests  become  more  severe 
the  gardener’s  task  of  holding  his  own  will  be  easier,  from  the  fact  of 
the  experience  and  opportunities  of  practice  being  so  favourable  to 
practical  men. 
The  “  fear  of  the  unknown  ”  keeps  many  away,  while  the  actual 
ordeal  is  an  unaccustomed  experience  from  which  many  good  men  shrink. 
Time  alone  is  needed  to  make  the  examination  generally  accepted  ;  the 
movement  is  still  in  its  infancy. 
4.  The  suggestion  from  “  A.  D,”  that  “candidates’  papers  should  be 
published  ”  is  too  puerile  to  be  entertained. — Pbactice  with  Science. 
CHLOROSIS  IN  FRUIT  TREES. 
The  discovery  in  America,  as  recently  reported  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  that  the  peculiar  affection  of  Peach  trees,  called  the 
“yellows,”  is  due  to  bacterial  agency  settles  the  question  of  its  not  being 
identical  with  the  “  yellows  ”  affecting  stone  fruit  trees  in  this  country. 
Dr.  Ernest  F,  Smith  first  advanced  positive  knowledge  concerning  the 
American  “  yellows,”  indicating  that  it  is  a  germ  disease,  due  to  some 
bacterium-like  organism.  It  is  right,  however,  to  mention  that  it  was 
originally  considered  by  French  savants  to  be  due  to  bacterial 
agency,  but  it  is  questionable  if  the  American  “  yellows  ”  are  known 
in  Europe. 
According  to  Dr.  Smith*  the  earliest  unmistakeable  symptoms  of  the 
“  yellows”  is  the  premature  ripening  of  the  fru’t.  Diseased  trees  ripen 
their  fruit,  in  whole  or  in  part,  from  a  few  days  to  several  weeks  in 
advance  of  the  proper  time.  Often  the  Peaches  on  one  or  two  limbs 
only  will  be  diseased,  all  the  rest  ripening  in  a  normal  manner.  In 
such  cases  the  premature  Peaches  are  full  grown,  ripe,  and  high  coloured, 
when  those  on  the  rest  of  the  tree  are  green,  and  but  half  grown.  These 
Peaches,  no  matter  what  their  natural  colour,  are  more  or  less  red  and 
purple  spotted  on  the  skin  and  splashed  and  streaked  within.  Some¬ 
times  the  normally  white  or  yellow  flesh  is  very  beautifully  mottled,  or 
almost  crimson  ;  again,  there  is  hardly  a  trace  of  the  normal  colour. 
The  flavour  of  immature  Peaches  varies  considerably,  but  they  are 
usually  insipid,  and  sometimes  bitter. 
•‘The  next  symptom,  which  generally  appears  the  same  season,  but 
is  sometimes  delayed  until  the  next,  is  the  appearance  of  diseased, 
dwarfed  growths  upon  the  trunks  and  limbs  These  growths  bear 
diminutive  leaves,  which  are  pale  green,  yellowish,  reddish,  or  white. 
They  often  show  a  tendency  to  repeated  branching,  sometimes  as  many 
as  four  sets  of  branches  being  developed  within  a  few  months.  These 
growths  may  arise  either  from  obscure  buds  on  the  trunk  and  main 
limbs,  or  from  the  ordinary  winter  buds.  They  may  appear  at  any 
time  during  the  season,  from  spring  until  late  autumn.  Often  the 
winter  buds  push  in  October  or  November,  after  the  foliage  has  fallen, 
or  even  in  August  and  September,  while  it  is  still  green  and  vigorous. 
“When  attacked  the  tree  is  very  often  in  a  vigorous,  healthy  looking 
condition,  and  sometimes  during  the  whole  of  the  first  season  there  is  no 
♦“Bulletin,”  No.  9  of  the  Botanical  Division  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture. 
sign  of  disease  beyond  the  appearance  of  a  few  premature  Peaches,  the 
foliage  being  fully  grown  and  dark  green,  and  the  shoots  in  no  way 
dwarfed  or  sickly.  As  already  intimated,  the  disease  usually  appears 
first  in  one  limb  or  one  side  of  the  tree,  but  sometimes  in  all  parts  of 
the  tree  at  once,  or  on  opposite  sides.  No  matter  to  how  slight  an  extent 
the  tree  is  first  diseased,  it  never  recovers,  but  becomes  entirely  diseased 
in  the  course  of  two  seasons,  or  at  most  three. 
“  The  limbs  first  attacked  are  badly  diseased  the  second  year,  their 
entire  growths,  shoots  and  foliage,  being  much  dwarfed  and  of  a  sickly 
green,  tinged  with  yellow  or  reddish  brown.  In  course  of  two  or  three 
seasons  the  entire  growth  of  the  tree  assumes  this  appearance,  and  is 
then  a  sufficient  warrant  for  the  common  name,  such  trees  especially, 
when  massed  in  orchards,  being  distinguishable  at  some  distance  by 
their  yellow  or  reddish-brown  appearance,  which  is  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  beautiful  dark  of  healthy  foliage. 
“  Trees  not  unfrequently  die  outright  the  second  year  of  attack,  but 
ordinarily  they  languish  for  a  number  of  years,  dying  gradually  from  the 
extremities  downwards.  Often  such  trees  are  barren  after  the  first  year, 
or  they  may  bear  another  crop  of  premature  Peaches,  which  are,  how¬ 
ever,  of  small  size  and  inferior  flavour.” 
That  there  is  no  disease  of  this  nature  in  England  is  quite  clear. 
With  the  premature  ripening  Peaches  most  growers  are  familiar,  but 
they  are  not  “  full-grown,  ripe,  and  high  coloured,”  but  “  green  and 
but  half  grown.”  Everybody  knows  that  such  fruit  is  due  to  over¬ 
cropping,  want  of  water  or  nutriment,  or  some  other  negligence  of 
management.  Such  fruit  is  “  insipid,  and  sometimes  bitter.”  But  this 
is  not  from  disease,  it  indicating  that  the  starch  has  not  been  converted 
into  fruit  sugar  (fructose  or  levulose,  CgHigOa.) 
“Dwarfed  growths”  are  not  uncommon  on  Peach  trees,  they 
springing  in  tufts  from  dormant  buds  on  the  branches,  and  “  they  may 
appear  at  any  time  during  the  season,  being  usually  pale  green, 
yellowish,  reddish,  or  white.”  All  cultivators  know  that  such  symptoms 
are  an  indication  of  a  bad  condition  at  the  roots,  and  they  rectify  it  by 
lifting  and  supplying  fresh  soil  and  better  drainage, 
“  When  attacked  ”  (in  the  manner  described)  “  the  tree  is  very  often 
in  a  vigorous  condition,”  but  the  growths  are  long-jointed  and  sappy, 
there  are  no  “  premature  Peaches,”  and  the  foliage  is  not  “  dark  green,” 
nor  “dwarfed,”  but  it  is  “sickly,”  The  disease  does  appear  “first 
in  one  limb  on  one  side  of  the  tree,  but  sometimes  in  all  parts  of  the 
tree  at  once,  or  on  opposite  sides.”  The  analogy  is  still  maintained,  for 
“  no  matter  to  how  slight  an  extent  the  tree  is  diseased,  it  never 
recovers” — thit  is,  if  left  alone — “  but  becomes  entirely  diseased  in  the 
course  of  two  seasons,  and  at  most  three.”  This  does  not  occur  generally, 
for  when  a  tree  gets  into  that  state  it  is  taken  in  hand,  lifting,  fresh  soil 
and  good  drainage  making  matters  right,  and  the  tree  flourishes  ;  but  if 
left  to  chance  the  trees  becomes  gradually  smaller.  It  dwindles  away 
— falls  a  prey  to  gumming.  This  is  a  common  case  with  trees  on  walls 
in  cases  where  the  soil  is  unsuitable,  it  having  become  sodden  and  sour, 
needing  only  opening  material  and  calcareous  matter, 
"  The  limbs  first  attacked  are  badly  diseased  the  second  year,”  Just 
so.  A  tree  affected  with  British  or  with  Americau  “  yellows”  goes  from 
bad  to  worse,  and  dies  by  inches,  but  unlike  in  that  the  tree  seldom  dies 
outright  in  the  second  year,  for  it  languisheth  “  for  a  number  of  years, 
dying  gradually  from  the  extremities  downward.”  The  British  tree  may 
not  be  “  barren  after  the  first  year,”  but  the  fruit  is  of  “  small  size  and 
very  inferior  flavour.”  It  does  not,  however,  bear  a  crop  of  “  premature 
Peaches.” 
There  are,  however,  some  points  of  resemblance  between  American 
and  British  “yellows”  in  Peach  trees.  The  chief  are  :  1,  The  American 
“  yellows  ”  causes  the  premature  ripening  of  the  fruit.  2,  Bacteria  is 
found  to  be  the  cause  of  American  "  yellows.” 
What  guise  the  bacteria  are  inis  not  stated.  Are  the  “bacteria” 
referable  to  Micrococcus — single  cell  0  0005  to  0  002  millemfecres  in 
diameter,  spherical  or  oval,  with  a  definite  wall  of  cellulose,  the 
substance  made  up  of  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen  (CgHioO.,)^  that 
make  up  the  wall  of  vegetable  cells  generally,  and  do  not,  like  most 
“  bacteria,”  show  any  movement  cf  translation  from  place  to  place,  but 
a  trembling  shivering  molecular  movement?  If  so,  are  the  micrococci 
found  in  zooglma  (gelatinous  intercellular  material)  or  in  chains  ?  Or, 
bacterium — longer  than  broad,  yet  not  very  long,  moving  or  changing 
place  by  whip-like  cilium  at  one  or  both  ends,  besides  having  the 
molecular  movement  of  Micrococcus.  If  so,  is  the  bacterium  free  or  in 
zooglma  ?  Or,  Bacillus — a  microbe  notably  longer  than  broad,  two  or 
more  times  ;  in  fact,  as  long  as  broad,  moving  with  or  without  the  aid 
of  flagella  flagellum,  a  whip).  If  so,  is  the  bacillus  in  the  free  or 
zooglaea  stage  ?  Or,  Spirillum — threads  spiral,  motile,  and  reproducing 
by  fission.  If  so,  is  the  putrefaction  set  up  due  to  a  septic  or  pathogenic 
Spiralla  ?  In  brief,  what  is  the  microbe  ? 
Cultivators  want  to  apply  the  teaching  of  science,  and  to  do  this  they 
must  have  a  clear  definition  of  the  microbe  with  which  they  have  to 
contend.  But  why  all  this  indefiniteness  about  microbes  ?  Surely  those 
making  out  “  yellows  ”  to  be  caused  by  “  bacteria  ” — a  general  term, 
meaning  anything  or  nothing — must  have  seen  the  microbe,  and  in  that 
case  might  just  as  well  have  stated  what  it  is  like — round,  a  Micro¬ 
coccus  ;  longer  than  broad,  a  Bacteriam  ;  two  or  three  times  as  long  as 
broad,  a  Bacillus  ;  thread-like  and  spiral,  a  Spirullum.  Ah  1  We  must 
wait  while  orchards  are  being  devastated  bv  microbes.  Happily  there 
is  no  need,  as  the  American  cultivators,  like  the  British,  have  found 
empirically  what  science  chiefly  steps  in  to  explain.  Why  not  scientists 
have  discovered  that  “  yellows,”  known  in  American  Peach  orchards 
