"THOSE theoretical fellows," the experimenters and professors, cut a strange figure in the minds of many good people. It is the especial function of certain speakers at the winter meetings to ridicule them and their "hobbies," even while commanding their hearers to plant squashes in the old of the moon in June, and to pick geese only when the moon is on the increase, lest the feathers shrink! Even before one of the great horticultural meetings of the year, a prominent speaker characterized the experimenters as *' theoreticians " who would not be likely to see the differences between varieties of plants ! We had not supposed before that even the theorist is deficient in powers of direct observation !

This much-abused word theory is used by these persons to designate any wild, absurd or impracticable notion. Time was that hypotheses of doubtful character were projected by the teachers; but even then they were far fewer than is commonly supposed. And even those theories which have died of their own frailty have served an essential purpose in the discovery of facts. Truth is, the teachers are in advance of the practice and thought of their time, and their work is never appreciated until it is seen in retrospect. This is necessarily so, for the teacher's function is to lead.

But who, at the present time, is the theorist, in the common meaning of that word ? Who plants his crops "in the moon"? Who fears to touch the heart of the tree, else he will kill it ? Who washes his apple trees to close the pores and keep out germs ? Who will not hoe his beans when the dew is on, for fear of blasting them ? Who puts sulphur into the pear trees to kill the blight ? Who carries pumpkin seeds in his trousers pocket to make the vines productive ? Who sows turnips on the "25th of July, wet or dry"? A person can hear more "theory" at one farmers' institute than at all the agricultural colleges combined specific and varietal names. It uses capital initials for all specific and varietal Latin names which are derived from proper nouns.

The American Garden for December, closing the eleventh volume, will bean unusually attractive number. Accompanying it will be an Illustrated Supplement on Window Gardening, which will contain many valuable and interesting contributions upon this subject, in an attractive form. Every one of our readers who grows a single plant in the chill winter will find matter of essential value in this supplement. The various departments of the magazine will also contain articles of great interest and illustrations of more than usual beauty. A comprehensive index will also accompany the December issue.

With the high aim of producing a magazine yet more worthy of the great field of Horticulture, we shall use all our resources to make The American Garden for 1891 far superior to anything of the kind ever offered to the people of this country. An idea of the many specially attractive features prepared for our readers can be had from the prospectus to be found in the Publisher's Desk.

Parker & Wood, Boston, are introducing a novel and meritorious folding wire plant-stand for house plants.

Professor Frank Gulley, late director of the Texas Experiment Station, has assumed the directorship of the Arizona Station.

The Western Garden and Poultry Journal is a new monthly published at Des Moines, Iowa, with Chas. N. Page as editor.

Siebrecht & Wadley, New Rochelle, near New York, have one of the finest displays of tuberous begonias ever made. It is a remarkable collection.

Professor H. E. Stockbridge has accepted the presidency of the North Dakota agricultural college. He leaves the directorship of the Indiana Station.

Professor T. L. Brunk, late of the Texas Agricultural College and Experiment Station, becomes professor of horticulture in the Maryland institution.

A. B. Cordley leaves an assistantship in the Michigan Agricultural College to become entomologist to the Vermont Station and professor in the University.

Dr. George L. Goodale, professor of botany in Harvard University, sailed eastward Sept. 24th, for a trip around the world. He goes with a fine equipment for photographing and studying the floras of the many regions he will visit.

The signal service will be transferred from the War Department to the Department of Agriculture, This transfer removes the weather observers from the army and makes them civil citizens. In one way and another the agricultural interests are coming to be recognized as paramount.

The officers of the Botanical Club of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for the next year, are as follows : Wm. M. Canby, Wilmington, Delaware, president; Professor L. M. Underwood, Syracuse University, vice president; B. T. Galloway, Washington, secretary.

California and Oregon appear to be the only states which have a good crop of fruit this year. Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan and some other central states have very small crops, but in all the eastern states the crops of orchard fruits are very small, and mostly very poor. Grapes and cranberries are yielding well the country over. Those who sprayed for the black rot are rejoicing at the result.