The December Monthly contains a statement that my work of the last two years has not been with the true, deadly "fire blight," which fruit growers so much dread. It was, however, set right in the following issue, and to that correction I desire to add the following testimony. Mr. Atwood's letter was entirely unsolicited, and from the time the article appeared till now we have had no other communication. All the virus used for my experiments the first year (1884), and during the following spring, was obtained in the first place from Mr. Atwood - in fact he furnished the original material for all the important results so far published. The season of 1885, however, brought an abundance of blight in our own orchard, and it was no longer necessary to go elsewhere for it. If there are any lingering doubts of the genuineness of my work it seems as if this letter must dissipate them :

"Geneva, N. Y., Dec. 2nd, 1885.

"My Dear Prof. Arthur: I have just noticed in the Gardeners' Monthly, p. 366, the suggestion that what you have been dealing with is not the fire blight.

"In your defence I wish to say that for every spring the last twenty years I have planted from 25,000 to 150,000 pear seedlings, raised a great many pear trees, been here in the centre of pear culture, and am able to speak of what I know when I say, that the blighted wood I furnished to make your experiments with was the genuine fire blight. Yours, Geo. G. Atwood, Salesman and Manager Washington St. Nurseries".

Experimental Station, Geneva, N. Y.